Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier confirmed what many believed about defensive tackle Caleb Banks: he suffered another injury to his foot, and it’s a serious one.

Napier asked if it's safe to assume Caleb Banks has a longer term injury:

"Yes sir."

— Nick Marcinko (@marcinko_nick) September 15, 2025

This is just another thing the Gators have to overcome during this tumultuous 2025 season, in which they have started 0-2. Banks re-injured his foot against the LSU Tigers in the 20-10 loss and will end up missing time, potentially the season.

Caleb Banks suffers serious foot injury

It’s a tough injury for multiple reasons, but let’s start with how this impacts Banks. He came back to the Gators after being projected to be a top-50 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He had seven sacks in 2024 and was set to fortify a good defensive line group going into the 2025 season, with Tyreak Sapp and George Gumbs Jr. ready to elevate the unit. Banks missed the first two games of the year, and getting hurt so quickly is frustrating.

It could also impact his draft stock. There were mock drafts projecting Banks to go early in the first round, and that could be in danger, especially with foot injuries being much harder for linemen to recover from.

Florida DT Caleb Banks (@Cbanks22_) is the Best DT in the 2025 #NFLDraft and he is not getting the hype he should be getting.

He has the type of explosive movement you cannot teach. And paired up with his pass rush technique you see why he looks the way he does on tape. pic.twitter.com/rtMUZICvNX

— Sanjit T. (@Sanjit__T) November 22, 2024

From the team’s perspective, it will hinder the Gators’ defense a significant amount going into the bulk of SEC play. The defense has been the biggest bright spot for this team, and Banks was set to be a huge part of that. Not having him will put more stress on the likes of Brendan Bett to get the pass rush that can continue to make this defense as good as it’s been to start the year.

There is an outside chance that Banks chooses to come back in 2026 after this injury, especially if his draft stock takes a tumble. No matter how you spin it, this news stinks.

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