Shad Banks Jr.

Shadrach “Shad” Banks Jr. grew up in the Houston area with his parents. He started playing football at age 4 and grew up playing “almost every” position on the field. He attended North Shore Senior High School, where he played primarily wide receiver. After the program won the 2018 state title, he helped North Shore go back-to-back with an undefeated 16-0 finish his sophomore season. He posted 1,292 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior. 502 Back to table of contents -- 506 of 629 -- A four-star recruit at wide receiver, he signed with Texas A&M (over Alabama, Ohio State and Texas) and enrolled in January 2021. However, after only a few months, he realized he wasn’t cut out to be a college wide receiver. He transferred to TCU in May 2021 and made the transition to linebacker. His playing time increased each season until 2024, when he was the odd man out in the linebacker rotation and elected to enter the portal for his final season. With his high school coach (Joe Price III) now an assistant at UTSA, he landed with the Roadrunners for the 2025 season. Banks got in better shape after transferring to UTSA (he lost almost 30 pounds), and his speed looked much better compared to his underclassman tape. He plays with urgent reaction skills to drive on the football, although he has mixed results when he runs himself into blockers. His physicality and compete skills pop, both on defense and special teams. He has alert eyes when dropping to find passing lanes. Overall, Banks is a stiff yet rangy defender with adequate diagnosis and tackling skills. His pro upside will depend on whether his coverage instincts continue to mature.