Film Room Friday: LSU's Will Campbell and Texas' Kelvin Banks Jr.

Welcome back inside the film room! Each week throughout the summer, I am going to break down a couple of prospects I have been watching. I will also include some embedded highlights that I have cut together and shared on Twitter. The goal is to provide a visual element to the written analysis. We might wind up expanding some of this in the near future as well.

In these early weeks, the focus will likely be on a lot of linemen, as it is much easier to find All-22 film of those players at this stage. Although, I will probably mix in a few running backs and linebackers when I can. For the highlights, I am focusing on one game at a time and trying to boil everything down to about two minutes and 15 seconds, or less. (Twitter won't allow videos over 2:20 unless you pay them).

With that in mind, let's dive into the top two offensive tackles on my big board at this point.

Will Campbell, OT, LSU

If you have started to dive into the 2025 class, you have likely come across Campbell's name. He is a true junior who has started each of the past two seasons for the Tigers at left tackle. The Monroe, Louisiana native is listed at 6'6", 320 pounds.

The game I watched and cutup above is the first of his true sophomore season. It is a mixed bag. He has some impressive pass blocking sets, but also struggled to keep up with the stunts and pass-rush moves being thrown by Florida State's front four. Specifically, he lost a number of times to Jared Verse.

As we all know, Verse went on to be a first-round pick back in April and Campbell improved throughout the season, so we will have to revisit him later in the summer.

Let's get into the film though. On the first play, you get a great look at Campbell's ability to anchor against powerful rushers. This is a tackle-end stunt that sees Campbell taking on Joshua Farmer, a 2025 prospect in his own right. Campbell has no problem getting his hands in place and locking up Farmer. His poise in pass protection is impressive for such a young player.

However, things start to go off the rails when he faces the top-tier talent of Florida State's defense. Verse and Braden Fiske run a similar stunt and Campbell does not handle it well. He does not get much help from his left guard Garrett Dellinger either. A good example of Campbell's processing needing to pick up against these fast-twitch players.

What comes next (around the 34-second mark of the video) is my biggest gripe with Campbell from what I have watched so far. He struggles to generate leverage, specifically in the run game. This is a goal line snap. Campbell needs to get low to generate a push into the end zone. Instead, Verse blows him up off the snap and sends him stumbling into the backfield. He winds up colliding with the running back, effectively ending the play.

Some of the issues for Campbell in this space stem from his larger frame. At 6'6", it is hard to get down to generate that leverage. Not that it is a massive difference but Verse is 6'4", which gives him a slight advantage in that leverage battle. Regardless, Campbell will have to work on not getting blown off the ball like that. He got dominated on that rep and potentially cost his team a touchdown.

It's not like Campbell lacks play strength. The next play I included (the 48-second mark) shows Verse knocking Campbell back right off the snap. However, Campbell re-anchors and shuts down Verse's momentum. You can see him do it again at the 1:38 mark. He is definitely surrendering ground, but he keeps his position and prevents Verse from wrecking the play.

The duel with Verse is just beginning though. The next clip (at the 58-second mark) shows Verse swiping Campbell's hands away and blowing past him for a bone-crushing strip sack of Jayden Daniels. Verse is very quick off the edge, but that is an area of improvement for Campbell as he gears up for the NFL.

What is impressive is how Campbell responds. The next play I included (at the 1:12 mark) sees Campbell matched up with Patrick Payton, someone I have featured in the first round of my most recent mock. Payton attempts the same hand swipe move as Verse, but Campbell is unfazed, shutting down Payton's pass rush.

I really like the next rep in this reel from Campbell. Knowing that Verse is fast off the line, he is the aggressor. He jumps out to knock Verse off his route, almost like a corner jamming a receiver at the line of scrimmage. Verse counters by powering into Campbell's chest, but not enough to have any real impact on the page. Dellinger comes over to help clean it up.

This play is a great example of Campbell learning from what he has seen throughout the game and refusing to back down against one of the best pass rushers in the country. He will need that type of mentality and adaptability to succeed at the next level.

The last play on this cutup might be Campbell's best yet. He showcases incredible grip strength to shutdown Verse. The FSU star breaks out a cross-chop, but Campbell gets his hands into Verse's chest and stymies him. He is in total control, a point Verse acknowledges by essentially giving up on the play. Those are the moments that have scouts and fans believing that Campbell has true top-10 potential.

Overall, this was a bit of an uneven game from Campbell, but keep in mind that this was just his 14th career start and the first game of the 2023 season. He looked sharper against great competition later in the year. I am looking forward to seeing a bit more from him as a run blocker and see if he can avoid some of the early hiccups we saw against Florida State. There is a ton to like about Campbell as a prospect.