JMU LB Commit Banks Drawn Towards Dukes’ Similar Play Style

It took one visit for Bryson Banks to know James Madison was his college destination. A Buford, Ga., native, Banks made the more than 500-mile trip north to Harrisonburg in early April and watched the Dukes' linebackers practice during one of their spring practice sessions. He was on campus for a recruiting visit, but the practice field is what drew Banks in. A 5-foot-9, 215-pound linebacker, Banks gravitated towards JMU starters Taurus Jones and Jailin Walker as they ran through drill after drill. Why? "When I watched them practice, that reminded me of me," Banks said. "I play the exact same as all of them. It was like I was looking at myself in the mirror." Two months later, Banks announced his commitment to the Dukes on Tuesday afternoon and joined running back Nate Crosby Jr. as the second Class of 2024 verbal pledge for coach Curt Cignetti and company. Banks chose the Dukes over Army, Austin Peay, and Middle Tennessee to round out his top four schools, but he also held offers from local Sun Belt Conference foes Georgia State and Georgia Southern. Though he had the chance to stay closer to home with two of the Dukes' league rivals, Banks wasn't worried about that. It came down to which school pursued him the hardest, and the purple and gold checked that box. "I didn't really look at it as trying to stay home or not," Banks said. "It was just whatever school really wanted me the most and they showed it, that was the school I was going to end up going to. And JMU showed the utmost love when I went up there, so it was pretty easy." Banks heard from the Dukes about once a week as he sifted through college coaches, reaching out almost daily. But JMU defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Bryant Haines stayed in touch with Banks throughout the process. That stood out to Banks, a wrecking ball in the middle of the field at Buford High School. Banks stole the show for the Wolves in Buford's 44-16 win over Carver last fall. He logged 15 tackles with five assists, one interception, and a fumble recovery. That came a week after he posted an eight-tackle showing with a fumble recovery and a pass breakup. Those two games were just a snippet of Banks' abilities as a linebacker. "I play fast and physical," Banks said. "I play with violence. I'm a leader on the field. … I feel like I fit that role perfectly because I do that on my own anyway." While Banks has produced at the high school level, he isn't the prototypical college linebacker when looking directly at his height. But with his muscular frame, Banks feels as though he's capable of playing with anyone. And with the FBS awaiting him in a year, Banks has a chip on his shoulder with what some would view as an undersized frame. He doesn't care. Instead, it pushes him. "Having something to prove everyday," Banks said of his motivation. "I feel like I have something to prove being 5'9", 5'10." I feel like I've got something to prove everytime I step on the field. That keeps me on my toes. I can't slack at all." Banks has played to prove doubters wrong for much of his football career, but he doesn't have to with his final season of high school football on the horizon. With his commitment to JMU, he can enjoy his time on the gridiron. "It's a big stress reliever," Banks said. "I can just relax and have fun my senior year — just play ball." But once he wraps up his high school career, JMU is the next step. And that one visit to Bridgeforth Stadium, which had more than 24,000 empty seats then, was all it took for Banks to find where he wanted to call home. "When I stepped on campus, it felt like home — it felt like I was in Buford all over again," Banks said. "Coaches, the culture, academics, the whole lifestyle up there; I just knew I would fit in."