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Redshirt freshman cornerback Ben Hanks III may be primed to step into the SEC spotlight in 2026. CBS Sports included Hanks in its list of breakout candidates for the conference last week, denoting his instincts and football IQ.
Gators safety DJ Coleman praised the former four-star prospect following his performance in the Orange and Blue spring game. "He's been real good, especially as a young guy. He shows a lot of traits that more veteran guys have. He knows how to read. He knows how to read the routes," the senior proclaimed of Hanks.
"His play recognition is very good, and he doesn't shrink to the moment," Coleman went on to say. "He always rises when the play comes to him." This sort of aptitude is a primary reason Hanks, entering his second season with the Gators, has an opportunity to capture a starting role on new defensive coordinator Brad White's unit.
Hanks was indeed impressive in spring camp, earning admiration from teammates and coaches for his maturity and early signs of leadership, despite being one of the younger defensive backs on the roster.
The 6-foot-1-inch, 192-pound Booker T. Washington product arrived in Gainesville after setting a single-season record for Miami-Dade County with 13 interceptions as a high school senior. Hanks has the pedigree of a lockdown corner, something the Gators would be thrilled to feature after seasons of searching for consistency from the position.
Hanks III is the son of former Florida standout linebacker Ben Hanks Sr., who suited up for the Gators during the first half of the 1990s before spending two years in the NFL. Steve Spurrier famously unretired his No. 11 jersey for the elder Hanks to wear while playing in the Swamp.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida football cornerback Ben Hanks III an SEC breakout candidate
Continue reading...
Gators safety DJ Coleman praised the former four-star prospect following his performance in the Orange and Blue spring game. "He's been real good, especially as a young guy. He shows a lot of traits that more veteran guys have. He knows how to read. He knows how to read the routes," the senior proclaimed of Hanks.
"His play recognition is very good, and he doesn't shrink to the moment," Coleman went on to say. "He always rises when the play comes to him." This sort of aptitude is a primary reason Hanks, entering his second season with the Gators, has an opportunity to capture a starting role on new defensive coordinator Brad White's unit.
Hanks was indeed impressive in spring camp, earning admiration from teammates and coaches for his maturity and early signs of leadership, despite being one of the younger defensive backs on the roster.
The 6-foot-1-inch, 192-pound Booker T. Washington product arrived in Gainesville after setting a single-season record for Miami-Dade County with 13 interceptions as a high school senior. Hanks has the pedigree of a lockdown corner, something the Gators would be thrilled to feature after seasons of searching for consistency from the position.
Hanks III is the son of former Florida standout linebacker Ben Hanks Sr., who suited up for the Gators during the first half of the 1990s before spending two years in the NFL. Steve Spurrier famously unretired his No. 11 jersey for the elder Hanks to wear while playing in the Swamp.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida football cornerback Ben Hanks III an SEC breakout candidate
Continue reading...
