SI All-American Candidate Shadrach Banks Highlights and Evaluation

Shadrach Banks is a wide receiver prospect from North Shore High School in Houston, Texas. Banks is an SI All-American candidate.

Prospect: Shadrach Banks
Status: SI All-American candidate
Vitals: 6-foot, 205 pounds
School: Houston (Texas) North Shore
Committed to: Texas A&M
Projected Position: Wide Receiver

Frame: Physically put together like a running back. Big upper-body and chest, thicker biceps. Sizable trunk and lower half, thick hips and thighs. Suffered a broken foot before the 2019 season. 

Athleticism: Releases with a fair blend of quickness and strength. He is strong enough to combat physical press coverage at the line and work into his route. Attempts to separate with 2-step and square-cut on digs. Very large strike zone and can easily pluck balls over his head while on the move. Excellent strength in RAC-phase with running back-esque movement skills to acquire additional yards post-contact. 

Instincts: Flashes some ability to tempo his releases and initial stems. Works with good awareness and has a very good feel for voids in coverage, yet instincts are at display mainly with the ball in his hands. Has good vision to locate openings downfield and can sustain decent speed when he’s allowed to build up. 

Polish: He is currently used in multiple ways - WR, F, H, wing, etc. Value comes as a versatile weapon mainly in the quick game rather than as a true receiver. RAC-skills and strength compensate for above-average speed and suddenness. Will need to acquire more true route-running experience, while improving his route stems. 

Bottom Line: Banks is an interesting prospect who is not necessarily a traditional receiver. He has the body and movement skills of a running back, and could very well contribute to a college offense as one. He isn’t overly sudden, yet he's a classic RAC-player who has solid instincts and strength with the ball in his hands. Look for Banks to align in multiple spots from the perimeter to the slot to running back at the next level, and perhaps even as an undersized H in some packages.