TCU’s Banogu close to NFL decision, maybe days after Alamo Bowl

TCU defensive end Ben Banogu said he may decide before January whether to declare for the NFL draft.

“I’m just waiting for the game to be over,” he said Sunday at the Alamo Bowl, where TCU is preparing to play Stanford on Thursday. “I’ll talk with my family, I’ll talk with Coach P again, and I’ll have my decision after that.”

In October, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper pegged Banogu as a first-round pick.

“I love football, I love playing this game,” Banogu said. “I don’t really pay attention to the outside people who tell me what I should or shouldn’t do. I listen to my coaches and my family. They’re the ones who are going to help me through this situation.”

Banogu recorded 8.5 sacks in 13 games this season. He sat out last season after transferring from Louisiana-Monroe.

The 6-foot-4, 245-pound junior is from McKinney and played at Prosper. He was not highly recruited in part because of a leaner frame and injuries in high school.

“There’s still a lot of things Ben can go learn and needs to go learn,” TCU defensive coordinator Chad Glasgow said. “There are certain things you only learn from playing and taking those reps, and he’s only played one year.”

Banogu called himself a raw athlete when he arrived at TCU, making plays just by “running around.”

“Being in this defense, being around guys that understand football at a higher level, it really made me more of a smarter football player,” he said. “I was able to make plays knowing what I was going to get if I ever had a question, like during practice or film. My teammates and my coaches were always able to help me expand my game.

“The best part about being on this team was being a smart football player, not only on the field but in the film room, too.”

This story was originally published December 24, 2017 at 4:53 PM.