Notre Dame football: Top-25 players of the Brian Kelly era

Notre Dame Football: Top-25 players of the Brian Kelly era

SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - NOVEMBER 07: Head coach Brian Kelly of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish leads his team out of the tunnel before the game against the Clemson Tigers at Notre Dame Stadium on November 7, 2020 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Matt Cashore-Pool/Getty Images) /

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Notre Dame Football star Aaron Banks. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Notre Dame Football: Top-25 players of the Brian Kelly era

20. Aaron Banks, OG, 2017-20

Aaron Banks was a key member of two undefeated regular season teams, and another team to win ten games. Most recently, he was on the 2020 team who was a finalist for the Joe Moore Award, which is given annually to the best offensive line in the country.

Banks was also an All-ACC player in 2020 and an All-American according to multiple outlets, like Pro Football Focus. PFF ranked Banks as the most valuable guard in the country, in terms of wins above replacement, and he was an anchor along an offensive line that could see four players selected in the 2021 NFL Draft this April.

An AP, PFF, and ESPN All-American, Banks was a second-team Walter Camp and Sporting News All-American. He would also be an Outland Trophy finalist during his senior campaign. As a Junior, Banks only allowed two sacks, before allowing none in his senior season.

This is a player who got better every season, and by the time he left South Bend, he was widely regarded as one of the better offensive guard draft prospects coming out, especially after dominating during the Senior Bowl week.

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