Eagles secure top prospect Banks
Eastern Washington University’s whirlwind courtship of Darius Banks paid off this week when the highly touted senior quarterback out of Culver City, Calif., orally agreed to accept a football scholarship from the Eagles.
Banks, a 6-foot-2, 185-pounder, who is ranked as the 16th-best dual-threat quarterback prospect in the country by rivals.com, slipped down to Eastern after failing to qualify academically to play at Oregon, Kansas State, San Jose State or any of the other Football Bowl Subdivision schools that made scholarship offers.
As an academic non-qualifier at EWU, Banks will not be eligible to practice or play with the Eagles during the 2008 season, but he could still compete for the next four years if his academics stay on track to graduate.
Eastern didn’t start recruiting the Culver City High School standout, whom rivals.com also ranks as the 66th-best overall prospect in California, until about three weeks ago. He made an official campus visit to EWU last weekend and, despite having to spend two extra days in Cheney after his original flight back to Los Angeles was canceled because of snow, announced his decision to become an Eagle shortly after returning home.
“I just really liked it there,” said Banks, who vaulted to the top of many Division I schools’ wish lists after throwing for 4,115 yards and 51 touchdowns as a junior at CCHS. “It seemed like it was somewhere I could be for the next five years.”
Banks, who led Culver City to an 11-1 record and the semifinals of the California Interscholastic Federation’s Southern Section playoffs last fall, capped his stellar prep career by throwing for 3,030 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior. He also rushed for nearly 600 yards and 13 more TDs for the Centaurs.
His drop in passing production was the result of a change in offensive coordinators and offensive strategy, according to Culver City assistant coach Greg Goodyear.
“But Darius still put up some great numbers,” said Goodyear, who served as quarterbacks coach for the Centaurs during Banks’ sophomore season. “He has great lateral speed, a good arm and great vision, and he’s very smart, football-wise.
“He’s going to be a star.”
According to Goodyear, Banks is a “carbon copy” of Appalachian State sophomore quarterback Armanti Edwards, who led his team past EWU in the second round of last fall’s Football Championship Subdivision playoffs and, eventually, to a third straight national championship.
“Darius is a little bigger, though,” Goodyear said. “And once he gets to Eastern and gets into the weight room and on a decent nutrition program, he’ll probably be playing at between 205 and 210 pounds, which should make him even more effective running the football.”
Banks watched film of last year’s Eastern team during his campus visit and was impressed by what he saw.
“They do everything kind of the same we did,” he said. “Basically, it’s the same offense. They run and no-huddle spread, and we ran the no-huddle at Culver City.”
First-year EWU coach Beau Baldwin is forbidden, under NCAA rules, to talk about Banks or any other potential recruits until after they sign their letters of intent. Wednesday will be the first day those letters can be signed.