JUCO OT ready for another AU visit

Iowa Western Community College offensive tackle Noah Banks will be in Auburn this weekend on an official visit.

It will be Banks’ third visit to Auburn since the summer and second in the past three weeks.

“I talked to Coach (Chip) Lindsey on Monday and set up my official visit,” Banks said. “I’m looking forward to it. I’ve always liked it at Auburn.”

Banks took an unofficial visit to Auburn in August, but didn’t hear from the Tigers again until November. That’s when Lindsey called Banks with a question.

“Me and my buddies have gone to the Iron Bowl the past couple of years and we were going this year, too,” Banks said. “We were just going to tailgate, but a few days before the game Coach Lindsey called me out of nowhere and told me they are planning to take a JUCO o-lineman. He asked if I was interested.”

Banks didn’t hesitate to respond.

“I told him ‘absolutely,’” Banks said.

Banks’ visit to the Iron Bowl as a tailgater turned into one as a guest/recruit.

“I got to go on the sidelines,” Banks said. “That was exciting.”

Banks is committed to Arkansas, but the Razorbacks and new coach Chad Morris will have to hold off several schools before the Dec. 20-22 signing period. Auburn, Florida and Nebraska each will receive a visit from Banks in the next two weeks. Banks will be in Auburn on Friday and then take a mid-week visit to Nebraska (Dec. 12-13). He’ll visit Florida Dec. 15-17. He already has taken official visits to Arkansas and Florida Atlantic.

“I’ll probably wait until after my Florida visit before making my decision,” Banks said.

One thing Auburn has in its favor is proximity to home. Banks is from Pensacola, Fla., attended West Florida High School and originally committed to Troy. A coaching change at Troy before Signing Day 2015 resulted in Banks choosing Murray State. He spent two years at Murray State, one as a redshirt, before transferring to Iowa Western.

“I just felt like I could do better than Murray State,” Banks said. “It was a gamble, but I did it anyways.”

And it appears to be paying off.

Auburn has not offered Banks, but should it extend one this weekend, a change in his recruitment could follow.

“Auburn has always been somewhere I really wanted to go,” Banks said. “It’s close to home and I know a lot of people that go there. I just have a connection with Auburn.

“If Auburn were to offer me, it’s hard to say that somebody would be able to top that because I enjoy Auburn so much.”

Banks will graduate from Iowa Western in December and enroll at a four-year school in January with two years to play two.