Texas Tech got it's 18th commitment of the class about an hour ago when Paul Banks III flipped from North Texas to the Red Raiders. He becomes the 7th defensive commitment and the 2nd defensive back in the class. I never review Paul Banks III (I didn't know about Banks until this weekend), but here are his measurables.

Paul Banks III - Cornerback (Navarro JC, Corsicana, TX)

Height	Weight	Vertical
6'2"	175 lbs	38"

Ratings: 78 by 247 / NR by ESPN / 5.3 by Rivals / 3-star by Scout

Interest: Texas Tech (Committed), North Texas (was committed), Houston *(was committed)

We haven't heard about Banks until this week, and this is because we he hadn't seen any interest from Tech. He committed to Houston while Gibbs was still there, then the Cougars pulled his offer once Gibbs left. He visited North Texas last weekend and committed right after his visit. That's when Tech (most likely Gibbs) started showing interest in Banks. He got Paul to visit Texas Tech this weekend, and secured a commitment from him while he was on his visit. I'm not sure when Tech offered him, but I bet it was sometime this weekend. He gives Tech depth at the secondary position (which they needed towards the end of last year) and experience. It also gives Justis Nelson competition, which should help both players.

Now let's take a look at what Paul Bank III will bring to the Red Raiders. Paul is a big, physical defensive back who can tackle and mirror wide receivers. When the opposition runs the ball, he can get to the ball carrier and land a big hit on him. When secondary players tackle well, it stops big play opportunities. Banks is also a big enough guy where he could cause a few fumbles also. Paul Banks is also good at defending the pass (as a DB should be). He follows the receiver and is good at closing in on the ball when the throw is made. He also can read the QB's eyes and tell where the ball is going to go at time. He should be able to compete for a spot on the 2-Deep roster next year.

Texas Tech now has 18 commitments with 4 days to go. Tech is still going after some keys guys with so little days left, like Arthur McGinnis, Semisi Uluave, JoJo Wicker and Chris Warren III, along with a few others ones that maybe we don't know about. Tyrell Thompson could get a Tech offer and commit to the Red Raiders, Jamile Johnson could flip from UT to Tech after his visit to Lubbock and maybe we'll see a few surprises. Even though this class only has 18 commits, it's still a very god class (according to rankings, better than last year). We'll be alright

Congrats Paul Banks III!!!