Following Missouri’s triumphant, 38-17 win at Florida last season, quarterback Drew Lock pulled wide receiver Barrett Banister aside. Banister, a walk-on, had made just one catch in the game, but it came at a key time. His 12-yard reception on third down and nine kept alive a Missouri drive that ended in a Lock touchdown pass to Emanuel Hall. The score put the Tigers ahead 35-10 midway through the third quarter and essentially put the game out of reach.
Lock told reporters last season that Banister, characteristically, wasn’t fazed by the moment. Instead, he calmly returning to the sidelines after his catch and waited until he was told to go back onto the field. But afterward, Lock had to ask, did Banister ever see himself catching a pass in the famous Ben-Hill Griffin Stadium, more commonly known as the Swamp?
Banister, who didn’t receive any FBS scholarship offers out of high school, admitted the moment was a bit surreal.
“I think the Swamp catch was probably one of those that was just, like, really cool,” Banister said. “Drew talked to me after, and he was just like, ‘That’s probably one of the coolest things you’ve done,’ and I was like, ‘Yeah it is.’ That’s an iconic stadium, and a lot of great players have played there, and it’s kind of cool to see myself catching one there.”
The catch against Florida was one of several clutch plays Banister made last season. He finished the year with eight receptions for 88 yards, all of which came in SEC play or the Liberty Bowl. As a result, head coach Barry Odom called Banister into his office this summer and presented him with a scholarship.
Banister’s coaches, both past and present, say he earned his playing time and his scholarship with a work ethic that never wavered despite seemingly long odds of seeing the field at this level.
“I think it all goes back to him preparing off the scenes, away from where everybody was watching, to be ready,” said Scott Davenport, Banister’s coach at Fayetteville high school. “... I think it was just an accumulation of all those long hours and all the work that he’s put in for those few moments of being able to show everyone his abilities.”
At first glance, it’s easy to see why college coaches were initially hesitant to offer Banister a scholarship. Banister is listed, perhaps generously, at 6 feet, 190 pounds on the Missouri roster. He’s far from slow, but he doesn’t possess the kind of blazing speed coaches typically look for in an undersized receiver.
But Davenport said he quickly realized Banister could overcome his physical limitations with his relentless work ethic and knowledge of the game. It was common for Davenport to arrive at the Fayetteville practice field to see Banister already there, catching passes from quarterback Taylor Powell, a redshirt sophomore at Missouri.
It was through Powell that Banister got a shot at Missouri. When Powell committed to the Tigers in the class of 2017, Banister asked him to send the coaches his film, too. Odom was impressed enough that he asked Powell a few questions about Banister, and Powell spoke highly enough that Odom offered Banister a spot as a preferred walk-on.
“He’s a guy that was a 4.0 student coming out of high school and had good film,” Odom said. “So there were some of those things that really, I admired, the way that he approached it, his work ethic, and then how much Taylor talked about some of the things that he was able to bring to their team behind the scenes. All qualities that you’re looking for.”
Banister had long believed all he needed was a chance to show college coaches what he could do, but he had to start at the bottom of the ladder. He redshirted the 2017 season, spending the bulk of the year playing with the practice squad. Still, he turned some heads with his reliable hands and knowledge of the offense. Current tight ends coach A.J. Ofodile, who coached wide receivers last season, pointed to Banister during spring practices a year ago as a player who had impressed during the offseason. Eventually, Banister’s consistent practice performance forced the coaching staff to move him up the depth chart.
“He did all of those cliche things: taking it one day at a time, really being a gym rat kind of player, knowing the offense, knowing every position, all four wide receiver positions including the tight end spot, from a route-running standpoint,” Ofodile said. “And then he was just consistent every day with his effort, his attitude and catching the football and getting himself open.
“After a while, when a guy is making play after play after play, it catches people’s attention and you start trying to figure out how to get them incorporated. So he earned his keep, did it the old-fashioned way. Went out there every single day, stayed patient, and eventually it worked out for him.”
At the start of last season, Banister found himself behind a crowd of receivers on the depth chart. But injuries to several other pass-catchers brought him closer to seeing the field. Hall and fellow wideout Nate Brown missed several games due to groin injuries, slot receiver Dominic Gicinto was banged up at times, and tight ends Albert Okwuegbunam and Kendall Blanton both missed multiple games as well. Due in part to his knowledge of every route-running position, the coaching staff eventually turned to Banister.
Foreshadowing his knack for timely receptions, Banister’s first collegiate catch came in one of the most crucial moments of the season. Playing at South Carolina, Missouri had squandered a nine-point halftime lead, thanks in part to a torrential downpour, but still had a chance to take the lead late in the fourth quarter. Trailing by two points with about four minutes remaining, Lock hit Banister over the middle for an 18-yard gain. Missouri eventually took the lead with a field goal on that drive before ultimately losing the game. Still, Banister earned more trust from Lock and the coaching staff on the play.
Lock continued to turn to Banister in big situations, particularly third downs. Banister chalked up his success to the fact that opposing coaches typically tried to take away the team’s leading receivers, such as Hall and Okwuegbunam, on third downs, leaving him in one-on-one matchups with linebackers or safeties. Davenport, who Banister served as the go-to guy when Fayetteville needed a big catch, said Banister's attention to detail and confident personality allow him to take advantage of those mismatches.
“I think he’s just got that personality where he wants the ball,” Davenport said. “He wants to be that guy. Whenever it’s third and six, he’s going to make sure he gets his route past the first down chains, he’s going to make sure that he watches the ball in. He’s going to do the little things that other guys might not be so conscious of.”
Banister has spent significantly more time with the first-team offense this spring. Aside from that fact, however, Powell said he’d never know Banister is now on scholarship. Banister has maintained his steady work ethic and continues to fill whatever role the coaches ask of him. Case in point: during recent practices, he’s taken reps holding the ball for Missouri’s placekickers. When the coaching staff deliberated how to replace punter Corey Fatony, who held the ball last season, Odom said Banister’s willingness to work and poise in big moments made him a natural choice.
“The guy’s gotta be able to get it down in a timely fashion, and usually that is a stressful situation,” Odom said. “Barrett has made some big catches in third downs, he’s been in the arena a little bit, and he’s got a natural feel for what it takes.”
Banister said he was, of course, overjoyed to receive news that he would be placed on scholarship. Receiving a Division I scholarship had been a goal for years, plus he was “pumped for my parents knowing that they weren’t going to have to pay for school anymore.” But Banister still takes pride in what he calls his “walk-on mentality,” and he said he’s made sure not to lose the edge he honed trying to prove that he belongs at the SEC level.
“I’ve always come in and wanted to prove it to someone, that I could do it at this level,” Banister said. “I think now it just motivates me more to continue and show them that they made the right decision and I can still compete at this level and do it.”
