Dan Mullen will admit it.
There were times when he worried Johnthan Banks might peak too soon.
Playing in 12 games and starting seven as a true freshman safety for Mississippi State, Banks finished his first year as one of the most successful young defensive backs in the SEC.
He grabbed four interceptions, returning two for touchdowns, totaled 33 tackles, and showed exceptional ball-hawking ability and maneuverability deep in the Bulldogs’ secondary.
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</font><div style="WIDTH: 300px"><cite>Chuck Cook/US PRESSWIRE</cite>Mississippi State's Jonathan Banks has defended 13 passes this year, intercepted five passes and has 49 tackles, including two sacks.</div></div></div>But after his first season, the thought that he might plateau briefly crossed Mississippi State’s head coach’s mind. He had seen it before with young, talented players. Fast starts can usually translate into slow finishes.
Well, Banks didn’t become just another statistic. Instead, the player who wants to go into law enforcement after a potential NFL career, has been too busy harassing opposing wide receivers to have his career take a dip.
Last year, he moved from safety to cornerback and nabbed three more picks, added 54 more tackles and seven more pass deflections.
Looking for that dip to finally come? Not so fast. Banks has defended 13 passes this year, intercepted five passes and has 49 tackles, including two sacks.
Banks is one of two players in the FBS with an interception returned for a touchdown and a punt returned for a touchdown this season, and is tied for the active lead in pick-sixes (three). He’s ranked in the top five in interceptions, the top 10 in pass deflections and the top 20 in punt return average per game. He is also tied for first in the SEC in sacks by defensive backs.
“I’m really proud of everything Johnthan has done,” Mullen said. “He’s continued to push he’s continued to develop himself into being someone people are talking about in this league. That’s special because there are so many great defensive backs in the Southeastern Conference.”
Banks certainly deserves to be in the same conversation with the best in the league at his position, and he’s inching closer to possibly getting All-American attention.
Mullen said Banks arrived weighing 160 pounds, but has bulked up to 185 pounds, which has made transformed him into a very physical player. His instincts have improved. He has totally bought into the program and how to properly prepare himself each week.
It also doesn’t hurt that he stands 6 foot-2, making him a real human shield for wide receivers.
“He’s started to really understand the position,“ Mullen said. “He understands what offenses are trying to do, understands route concepts and how receivers are trying to run routes, puts himself in a position to use his strength -- which is being 6-foot-2 with long arms -- and puts himself in a good position to play balls.
“When you can mention a guy that is getting individual attention at this position in this league is something he can be really proud of.”
The more he plays, the more attention he’s sure to get.
There were times when he worried Johnthan Banks might peak too soon.
Playing in 12 games and starting seven as a true freshman safety for Mississippi State, Banks finished his first year as one of the most successful young defensive backs in the SEC.
He grabbed four interceptions, returning two for touchdowns, totaled 33 tackles, and showed exceptional ball-hawking ability and maneuverability deep in the Bulldogs’ secondary.
<div class="mod-inline image image-right"><div style="WIDTH: 300px; MARGIN-LEFT: 10px"><a rel="nofollow" class="enlarge"></a>/sports.espn.go.com/espn/gallery/enlargePhoto?id=7216868">http://sports.espn.go.com.../enlargePhoto?id=7216868','Popup','width=640,height=550,scrollbars=no,noresize'); return false;" href="#"><font color="#999999">[+] Enlarge
Well, Banks didn’t become just another statistic. Instead, the player who wants to go into law enforcement after a potential NFL career, has been too busy harassing opposing wide receivers to have his career take a dip.
Last year, he moved from safety to cornerback and nabbed three more picks, added 54 more tackles and seven more pass deflections.
Looking for that dip to finally come? Not so fast. Banks has defended 13 passes this year, intercepted five passes and has 49 tackles, including two sacks.
Banks is one of two players in the FBS with an interception returned for a touchdown and a punt returned for a touchdown this season, and is tied for the active lead in pick-sixes (three). He’s ranked in the top five in interceptions, the top 10 in pass deflections and the top 20 in punt return average per game. He is also tied for first in the SEC in sacks by defensive backs.
“I’m really proud of everything Johnthan has done,” Mullen said. “He’s continued to push he’s continued to develop himself into being someone people are talking about in this league. That’s special because there are so many great defensive backs in the Southeastern Conference.”
Banks certainly deserves to be in the same conversation with the best in the league at his position, and he’s inching closer to possibly getting All-American attention.
Mullen said Banks arrived weighing 160 pounds, but has bulked up to 185 pounds, which has made transformed him into a very physical player. His instincts have improved. He has totally bought into the program and how to properly prepare himself each week.
It also doesn’t hurt that he stands 6 foot-2, making him a real human shield for wide receivers.
“He’s started to really understand the position,“ Mullen said. “He understands what offenses are trying to do, understands route concepts and how receivers are trying to run routes, puts himself in a position to use his strength -- which is being 6-foot-2 with long arms -- and puts himself in a good position to play balls.
“When you can mention a guy that is getting individual attention at this position in this league is something he can be really proud of.”
The more he plays, the more attention he’s sure to get.
