Keshawn Banks Season 2021

Final Bio

HONORS
* Four-time All-Mountain West (2019 & 2021 second team, 2020 & 2022 honorable mention)

Talented, defensive end who had a solid 2018 fall camp and played immediately as a true freshman ... Then earned all-Mountain West honors as a sophomore in 2019, and again in 2020, 2021 and 2022 ... Had 42.0 tackles for loss for his career, the sixth most in program history (since records were kept in 1979) ... Started the final 47 games he played of his career.

^SENIOR SEASON (2022)
Was named an honorable-mention all-Mountain West performer, his fourth all-league selection ... Also was a third-team selection by Phil Steele Magazine ... Racked up numerous preseason accolades, including being named to the all-Mountain West team by the league’s media, Athlon Sports and Lindy’s Sports, and earning second-team honors by Phil Steele Magazine ... Has been chosen as “SDSU’s No. 3 player” by Athlon Sports ... Was listed as the “No. 9 NFL talent in the Mountain West” by Lindy’s Sports and also as a “SDSU player to watch” by the magazine ... Had 40 tackles (16 solo), 11.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, a pass breakup and 10 quarterback hurries in 13 starts this season ... According to Pro Football Focus, he ranked fifth in the Mountain West in quarterback hits (10), and seventh in hurries (25) and  total pressures (40) ... Logged an assisted tackle in 55 snaps in a start vs. Arizona on Sept. 3 ... Came up with two assisted stops in 52 snaps in a start vs Idaho State on Sept. 10 ... Registered a pair of tackles (one solo) in 50 snaps at No. 14/15 Utah on Sept. 17 ... Had four stops (one solo) in a start and 54 snaps vs. Toledo on Sept. 24 ... Also added two quarterback hurries ... Had a pair of tackles (one solo) in 43 snaps in a start at Boise State on Sept. 30 ... Made two assisted tackles in 45 defensive snaps against Hawai’i on Oct. 8 ... Had the best game of the season at Nevada on Oct. 22, making five tackles (three solo) with a then career-high 3.5 tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries ... The 3.5 tackles for loss were the most by an Aztec since Jonah Tavai also had 3.5 against Boise State on Nov. 26, 2021 ... Entered the contest with 13 tackles (three solo) and no tackles for loss over his first six games ... According to Pro Football Focus, had four quarterback pressures overall with two hits and two hurries ... Was named a defensive player of the game ... Made an assisted tackle in a start and 61 snaps at Fresno State on Oct. 29 ... Logged four tackles (one solo), including 0.5 sacks (and 0.5 TFL), and added a quarterback hurry in 43 defensive snaps against UNLV on Nov. 5 ... Had a 7-yard sack, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry in 42 defensive snaps in a start vs. San José State on Nov. 12 ... Came up with two tackles (one solo), including 1.5 tackles for loss, in a start in 38 snaps in a start at New Mexico on Nov. 18 ... Logged a career-high seven tackles (three solo) with a tackle for loss vs. Air Force on Senior Day on Nov. 26, playing 64 of the team’s 70 snaps ... Finished his career in style against Middle Tennessee in the Hawai’i Bowl  on Dec. 24 with a career-high-tying seven tackles (four solo), a career-high four tackles for loss, a career-high-tying two sacks and four quarterback hurries, playing 69 of the team’s 76 snaps.

SENIOR SEASON (2021)
Was named a second-team all-Mountain West selection by the league’s coaches and media ... Was named a preseason second-team all-Mountain West selection by Lindy’s Sports ... Was rated as “SDSU’s fifth-best defensive player” by College Football News and a “player to watch” by Lindy’s Sports ... Started the team’s 14 games ... Had 35 tackles (16 solo), including 11 tackles for loss for 51 yards, five sacks for 31 yards, two pass breakups and 17 quarterback hurries ... According to Pro Football Focus, he ranked second in the Mountain West in quarterback hits (19, T-2nd in FBS), third in quarterback pressures (sacks/hits/hurries) (59, T-10th in FBS) and tied for seventh in quarterback hurries (33, T-20th in FBS) ...  Started the opener against New Mexico State on Sept. 4, making one pass breakup in 59 snaps ... The PBU led to an Andrew Aleki interception returned for a touchdown ... Recorded three tackles (one solo) with a 4-yard tackle for loss in 40 snaps in a start at Arizona, receiving the highest defensive grade (79.0) according to Pro Football Focus ... Came up with a solo tackle (5-yard loss), a pass breakup and two quarterback hurries in 79 snaps against Utah ... Ended up with the highest defensive grade (87.5, min. 10 snaps) of his career ... Started again vs. Towson on Sept. 25, recording a quarterback hurry in 45 snaps ... Had a season-high and career-high-tying six tackles (two solo) in a start against New Mexico on Oct. 9 ... Added 0.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry ... Ended up playing 44 of the team’s 62 defensive snaps in the game ... Came up with five tackles (three solo) and two quarterback hurries in 72 defensive snaps in a start at San José State on Oct. 15 ... Logged two tackles (both solo), including a 2-yard tackle for loss, and a quarterback hurry in 56 snaps in a start at Air Force on Oct. 23 ... Was named one of SDSU’s defensive players of the game ... Had a productive game against Fresno State on Oct. 30, totaling five tackles, including a 6-yard tackle for loss, and four quarterback hurries ... Played in 70 of the team’s 81 defensive snaps ... Had a good game in 55 snaps at Hawai’i on Nov. 6, recording four tackles (two solo), including 1.5 sacks (and TFL) for eight yards and a quarterback hurry ... Had two assisted tackles, including a tackle for loss, and two quarterback hurries in 51 snaps in a start vs. Nevada on Nov. 13 ... Made his one tackle a good one at UNLV on Nov. 19, logging a 10-yard sack ... The sack came on third-and-10 and forced a Rebel punt ... Played 46 snaps overall ... Did not record a stat in 55 snaps in a start against Boise State on Nov. 26 ... Had a good game vs. Utah State in the Mountain West Championship on Dec. 4, registering four tackles (two solo), including two tackles for loss and a 5-yard sack, and two quarterback hurries in 56 snaps ... The two tackles for loss tied a career high ... Recorded two tackles (one solo), including a 7-yard sack (and TFL), and a quarterback hurry in 50 snaps against No. 24/25 UTSA in the Tropical Smoothie Frisco Bowl on Dec. 21.

JUNIOR SEASON (2020)
Was chosen as a honorable-mention all-Mountain West selection by the league’s media and coaches ... Was named a preseason first-team all-Mountain West selection by the league’s media, Athlon Sports, Phil Steele Magazine and College Football News ... CFN had him as the “16th-rated player in the MW” and “SDSU’s fourth-best defensive player” ... Was listed as “One of SDSU’s five-best returning players” ... Has started the team’s first seven games before missing the season finale at No. 14/16 Brigham Young with an injury ... Had 14 tackles (nine solo), including five tackles for loss, a forced fumble, fumble recovery and six quarterback hurries ... Ranked in a tie for eighth in the Mountain West with one fumble recovery ... Started for the 14th straight time in the opener against UNLV on Oct. 24, making five tackles (four solo) with a tackle for loss ... Had one solo tackle in a start at Utah State on Oct. 31, which went down as a 7-yard tackle for loss and forced fumble ... The forced fumble was the first of his career ... Also added a quarterback hurry ... Had a solo tackle (1-yard TFL) and a quarterback hurry in a start against San José State on Nov. 6 ... Had a good all around game vs. Hawai’i on Nov. 14 with one assisted tackle, which went down as half tackle for loss, a fumble recovery and a game-high-tying two quarterback hurries ... The fumble recovery was the first of his career and led to an Aztec field goal ... Did not record a stat in in a start at Nevada on Nov. 21 ... Had a big game in a start at Colorado on Nov. 28 with a career-high six tackles (three solo), including a season-high 1.5 tackles for a loss of 10 yards ... Started against Colorado State on Dec. 5, where he picked up a pair of quarterback hurries ... Missed the game at No. 14/16 Brigham Young with an injury, snapping a streak of 25 straight games played and 20 consecutive starts.

SOPHOMORE SEASON (2019)
Was named to the all-Mountain West second team as voted on by the league’s coaches and media ... Also garnered second-team all-MW honors from Phil Steele Magazine ... Started each of the team’s 13 games on the season ... Had 43 tackles (21 solo) on the season, including a team-high 13.5 tackles for loss for 50 yards and 4.5 sacks for 26 yards, a pass breakup and nine quarterback hurries ... Ranked fourth in the Mountain West in tackles for loss per game (1.04) ... Earned the start for the first time of his career in the opener with Weber State, making three tackles (two solo), including 1.5 tackles for loss for five yards ... Followed with a 4-yard tackle for loss at UCLA in 47 snaps ... Had the best game of his young career at New Mexico State, making five tackles (three solo), including two sacks (and TFL) for 12 yards, with his first career pass breakup ... For his efforts was named to the Pro Football Focus Mountain West Team of the Week for the first time of his career ... The two sacks and two tackles for loss were both a career best ... Made two assisted tackles in a start vs. Utah State, playing 68 of the 77 snaps in the game ... Tied a career high with five stops in 45 snaps in a start at Colorado State, including 0.5 sacks and 1.5 tackles for loss ... Tied a career high with five tackles (three solo) with a tackle for loss in a start vs. Wyoming, playing all the defensive snaps (54) for the first time of his career ... Started again at San José State, making one tackle that went down as a 1/2 sack with Cameron Thomas and adding a quarterback hurry, while playing 46 snaps in the game ... Had another good start at UNLV, making three tackles, including 1.5 sacks (and 1.5 TFL) for eight yards and a quarterback hurry in 67 snaps ... Made two tackles in 49 snaps in a start vs. Nevada ... Made his 10th straight start vs. Fresno State, recording five tackles (two solo) ... Also had a tackle for loss and three quarterback hurries over the 45 snaps ... Had four tackles (three solo) with two tackles for loss of six yards and a pair of quarterback hurries in a start and 57 snaps at Hawai’i ... Had another good game against Brigham Young, making five tackles (two solo) with 1.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry in 72 snaps ... Had two solo stops in front his hometown in the New Mexico Bowl against Central Michigan across 39 snaps.

FRESHMAN (TRUE) SEASON (2018)
Played 12 of the team’s 13 games on the season as a true freshman, missing the Nevada game with an injury ... Had seven tackles with one tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry ... Played in the opener at No. 13/13 Stanford, making an assisted tackle off the bench in 18 snaps ... Also played in a reserve role against Sacramento State (16 snaps), but did not find the stat sheet ... Had a solo stop against No. 23/25 Arizona State (18 snaps), which went down as a 2-yard loss ... It was the first tackle for loss of his career ... Made an assisted tackle in 15 snaps in a reserve role against Eastern Michigan ... Had a career-best two stops in 20 snaps at rv/No. 24 Boise State ... Played even more the following week against Air Force, making one assisted tackle and adding one quarterback hurry in a career-high 30 snaps in a reserve role ... Was unable to find the stat sheet against San José State ... Did not travel to play at Nevada while in concussion protocol ... Came back to play nine statless snaps at New Mexico, 12 statless snaps vs. UNLV, 11 statless snaps at Fresno State and eight statless snaps vs. Hawai’i ... Had an assisted tackle in 23 snaps vs. Ohio in the DXL Frisco Bowl.

HIGH SCHOOL
Three-year letter winner at Rio Rancho High School in Rio Rancho, N.M., in the Albuquerque area ... Led the Rams to a 13-0 record and state championship in 2016, and a 9-3 mark in 2017 ... Had 133 tackles over his three years according to MaxPreps, including 37 tackles for loss, 18 sacks, eight pass deflections, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and an interception ... Registered 55 tackles, 20 TFL, 10 sacks, four pass deflections, a forced fumble and two recoveries as a senior in 2017 ... Played in the North-South all-star game ... Earned all-state, all-metro and all-district accolades, and was named the metro defensive player of the year ... A three-star recruit by 247sports and a two-star recruit from Rivals ... Rated as the third-best recruit in New Mexico by 247sports ... Also lettered for three years with the basketball team and twice on the track and field squad.

PERSONAL
Keshawn Duvall Banks was born Dec. 21, 1999, in Albuquerque, N.M. ... Son of Jacinda Baker and Gary Allison (stepdad) ... Picked the Aztecs over Colorado State, Wyoming, UNLV, New Mexico and New Mexico State ... Is majoring in interdisciplinary studies.

SINGLE-GAME BESTS
Tackles: 7 vs. Middle Tennessee (12/24/22), vs. Air Force (11/26/22)
Tackles For Loss: 4.0 vs. Middle Tennessee (12/24/22)
Sacks: 2.0 vs. Middle Tennessee (12/24/22), at New Mexico State (9/14/19)
Pass Breakups: 1, four times
Forced Fumbles: 1 at Utah State (10/31/20)
Fumble Recoveries: 1 vs. Hawai’i (11/14/20)