Apr 17, 2023 3 min read

Ty Banco was thinking big. Very big.

Banco, a standout two-way lineman at Trinity High School, had known for years that he wanted to play Division I football in college. However, well into this, his senior year, Banco wasn’t sure an offer would come from a Division I school that would be too good to pass up.

In mid-February he received one.

From Texas A&M.

In the Southeastern Conference.

Where more than 100,000 fans show up for home games at Kyle Field.

From the size of the budget to the media attention, this is the biggest of college football’s big time.

And Banco wasn’t going to let that kind of opportunity pass. He committed Sunday night to Texas A&M as a preferred walk-on.

“Division I, whenever you get a chance to play at that level, you have to try and see how you do,” Banco explained.

Banco (6-1, 274) will follow the path of his father, Steve, who played Division I football at East Tennessee State. Ty Banco and his family made a visit to College Station, Texas, and toured A&M’s campus and football facilities over the Easter break. That sold the younger Banco on the Aggies.

“I’ve been an SEC football fan and Texas A&M was one of the teams that was right up there for me,” Banco said. “I love the culture of Texas A&M and having a coach such as Jimbo Fisher to play for, well, that’s a great opportunity.”

Banco had received plenty of interest from Division II programs and other preferred walk-on opportunities at the Division I level. Texas A&M, however, had known about Banco for several years thorough a connection to former Trinity head coach John Miller.

Banco is expected to play interior offensive line, either guard or center, at Texas A&M. The Aggies’ offensive line coach is Steve Addazio, a former head coach at Temple, Boston College and Colorado State.

Banco was a dominant player on both sides of the ball for the Hillers. As a senior, he was selected Class 4A first team all-state by the Pennsylvania Football Writers Association.

A two-time Observer-Reporter Terrific 22 selection, Banco was one of six finalists for the Fralic Award, which is given to the WPIAL’s best lineman.

“He was dominant. He is so athletic and was disruptive against everyone we played,” said Trinity coach Dan Knause. “As a coach, you are so grateful to coach guys like him. He’s a well-liked kid in the building. He’s so aggressive when he plays, but he’s one of the nicest people you’re going to meet. He epitomizes what we mean when we say student first and athlete second.”

Banco has been selected to play in the Big 33 East/West game. He was the WPIAL Class 3A heavyweight wrestling champion as a senior and placed sixth at the PIAA Championships.