Sophomore EJ Banks is still enrolled at Notre Dame, but is not currently with the team according to Notre Dame Sports Information Director Brain Hardin. Privacy laws prevent Hardin or anyone from Notre Dame for giving out any information on the matter.
According to multiple media outlets, a resolution to Banks’ situation could come as early as the end of the week.
If Banks is not able to rejoin the team, Notre Dame’s cornerback depth will suffer yet another hit after early enrollee Spencer Boyd transferred following spring practice. That would leave Notre Dame with just four cornerbacks on the roster – Darrin Walls, Gary Gray, Robert Blanton, and Lo Wood. The first three have plenty of experience amongst them, but Wood is a true freshman.
Banks was listed as a backup corner to start fall camp. If he is not back with the team in 2010, Wood likely will assume the backup corner back duties, but it’s also likely that Kelly will search the Irish roster for viable candidates at corner to provide some depth. Unfortunately, the most suitable possibilities – Theo Riddick and Cierre Wood – are also being counted on heavily on the offensive side of the ball so neither of them is going anywhere. Jamoris Slaughter could play corner as well, but he is being counted on to lock down a starting safety position in camp.
Should Banks’ situation, whatever it may be, cause him to leave the University, Notre Dame will need to add at least another defensive back in this year’s recruiting class to go along with Eiler Hardy, Mathias Farley, and Jalen Brown.
Brian Kelly isn’t scheduled to meet with the media again until Saturday so we most likely won’t hear anything definitive until then.
