Khris Banks is only going to get better.

His Temple teammates are starting to take notice of what the redshirt sophomore defensive tackle is capable of.

And they saw it take place leading up to the season.

Quarterback Anthony Russo believes that what took off for Banks this offseason is that he realized if he wanted to be as great of a player as he can, then he has to take every drill, every rep, every second watching film and lock in.

Russo mentioned to reporters during Tuesday's media availability that there were times that Banks would be great for a couple of plays, but then his mind might wander elsewhere for a couple of plays.

Banks took that to heart and worked on improving his discipline and his patience, he said.

The former three-star recruit out of DePaul Catholic in Wayne, New Jersey decommitted from Boston College and flipped to Temple. Since arriving in North Philadelphia as a part of Temple's 2018 recruiting class, Banks made the transition over from offensive guard and bulked up to 305 pounds.

It certainly helps that he’s been able to learn from guys like Dan Archibong and Ifeanyi Maijeh along the way. Temple defensive coordinator Jeff Knowles considers Banks to be a starter behind the starters, but he’s taken his new role and run with it.

In Saturday’s loss at Navy, Banks was credited with a career-high nine total tackles, one tackle for loss and four stops, logging a total of 38 snaps.

“I think Khris played a really, really good game,” Temple head coach Rod Carey said Monday. “He was right at the snap count where we wanted him, which was right around 40. He played at a high level, certainly had some things in there where his pad level got high a couple times, too, but he certainly played a really good game. I’m really happy for Khris.”

Temple's run defense was thrashed by Navy’s rushing attack, as the Owls allowed 261 yards on the ground, including four touchdowns. Senior fullback Nelson Smith led the way with 120 yards on 20 attempts, with a long of 26 yards that accounted for one of his two touchdowns in Navy’s 31-29 victory.

Still, Banks was a bright spot on an interior that was dominated by Navy’s low-pad level. Carey attributed Temple’s inability to stop the run to the Owls’ high-pad level. Temple was able to adjust it in-game, but fatigue also played a significant factor.

“It’s extremely hard. Navy, they get really low with the pad levels, so getting under those guys was extremely hard throughout the game,” Banks said. “It is kind of hard to keep that low pad level, but sometimes you gotta dig deep and get as low as you can to beat those double teams and those cut blocks.”

Banks was a part of a rotation that included Karamo Dioubate, Archibong and Maijeh during the 2019 season. In 13 games, he logged 15 total tackles, 2.5 TFLs and three pass breakups.

As he leans into his new role as that No. 3 guy in the middle, Banks comes in with a lot more confidence. He’s playing a lot more snaps this season, but that doesn't seem to be too difficult of an adjustment so far.

He’s also found a position on the field that he thrives in.

“I think I’m better as a (3-Techquine) because it gives me more space to operate during pass-rushing,” Banks said. “Working out in more space gives me more room to use my speed, my quickness and athletic ability. I really feel more comfortable in the (3-Tech) than on the nose.”