Three big questions for Jeff Banks in 2025

Football finally feels like it’s returning this week, as reporters will have the chance to speak with some of the assistant coaches and monitor practice over at the Denius Fields.

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This, of course, means nitpicking and examining every single flaw in every single position group from last year to make sure there is not a single mistake in 2025. We’re only half-joking.

Few coordinators returning to Texas possess the experience, familiarity, and poise of Jeff Banks. If there’s anyone outside of defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski who has a ton of power over this team, it’s the special teams coordinator/tight ends coach. Banks and Steve Sarkisian date back to the Alabama days, and few special teams coaches have produced results at the level that Banks has in the 13 years he’s been coaching in the SEC.

But last year was a bit different for the Longhorns, with their special teams taking a giant dip in production. Depending on the metric, some sites would say it was bottom five in Power Four play. Whether it was missed kicks, a lack of awareness, or just generally poor play from blockers or gunners, the special teams took a step back. This is why Banks will be one of the most intriguing conversations of the pre-2025 season.

What does improving the special teams actually look like?

It’s so easy for us sitting at home to simply say “special teams have to improve.” Every team’s fans expect improvements from what, at face value, seems like the simplest of the three phases of the game. But special teams are an extremely intricate identity of the football team. The offense and defense, at the end of the day, line up with a very similar 11 at all times. Special teams have four different formations and personnel groups in one sphere.

Simply asking how the special teams can improve is tricky because there are so many individual things Banks is responsible for. So the real question for Banks is what he’s actually doing this offseason to improve his units. We already know he’s brought in a new kicker and punter, but what is he going to do differently with these two to avoid the disasters of Sideshow Bert and the entire punting unit last year? What is he doing with his gunners on punt coverage to return to the days of Kitan Crawford and Keilan Robinson’s excellence? The personnel seems improved, but what is he doing with that personnel to bring this group back to elite status?

How aggressive is he willing to be with freshmen?

Texas brought in roughly 12 freshmen who will likely be three-and-done at the college level. They’re too good to even consider using a redshirt on, as by the time they are juniors, you can expect them to be stars on this roster. If there’s no reason to redshirt them, Texas is going to need to find ways to get them on the field.

That, of course, comes with special teams, where younger players have a much better chance of shining purely through work ethic, determination, and raw athleticism. The question is, how aggressive will he be in getting these players on the field and in important positions? At least three freshmen can make claims for a punt or kick return spot, and that can be an easy way to extract value out of elite athletes like Jonah Williams or Jamie Ffrench. In the case of Williams or Elijah Barnes, how many units are these elite second and third-level defenders going to be allowed to play on? Banks has a lot of tools at his disposal with this roster, but where does he draw the line with these future stars on offense and defense?

What are we going to get out of Jordan Washington in 2025?

You have to sneak at least one tight end question in for Banks, and there’s one player that we’ve not heard much about over summer workouts. Washington entered the 2025 offseason as the expected starter, hoping to fill the shoes of Gunnar Helm in his second year on campus. Tight end is one of the hardest positions to adjust to as you jump levels, so expecting that out of Washington as a redshirt freshman would’ve been a risky decision. Enter Jack Endries from the portal, the potential top tight end draft pick in 2026.

This now puts Washington in an odd spot. The No. 2 TE in an offense is almost always a strong blocker who makes teams load the box in 12 personnel. That’s always been Washington’s biggest weak point, and it’s not something Endries particularly excels at. If you want a blocker out there, 6’7″ Spencer Shannon may be the choice. We really need to know where Washington is at, and if he can contribute even 10 catches on 26 snaps per game. Those would both eclipse Juan Davis from last year.

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Texas is in a prime position to upgrade on special teams and find high-level production at tight end, but a lot of that is theoretical right now. Banks is (no pun intended) banking on a lot of transfers. He has one of the toughest jobs this offseason and is always a fun character to interact with. IT will have its focus set on what he has to say in the coming week.