Santana Banner looks to establish identity of Mizzou's safety room

COLUMBIA, Mo. — This time last year, Santana Banner stepped onto the Missouri practice fields as a newbie.

The Northern Illinois transfer joined the program with a December commitment, enrolling at the start of the spring semester in January. This offseason, though, Banner marked one of four scholarship safeties returning from the 2025 season.

“I feel like the goal this spring is to really establish the identity of not only the football team, but specifically for my unit, Death Row,” Banner said Thursday ahead of spring practice, “communicating and playing fast and physical football.”

With three transfers and three high school enrollees joining the position this offseason, Banner has seen himself become more of a leader. Once a “younger-ish” guy at the position, he was taken under the wings of Jalen Catalon and Daylan Carnell. Now one of the eldest in the safety room, Banner’s assumed that role.

“Quite literally everybody,” Banner said in response to who has stood out thus far. “We live together, do little position-group things to get everybody in there that’s pushing everybody to get better every single day. And that’s God’s honest truth.”

Throughout his redshirt sophomore season at Missouri, Banner added to his responsibilities. He played in all 13 games, drawing his first start on the road against then-No. 10 Vanderbilt in October.

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound safety also focused on the minute details, while previously playing off pure athleticism in his first two seasons at Northern Illinois. He’s now looking to eliminate mental errors in his next stage of development.

“I really just honed in the details and focused on my technique,” Banner said. “I feel like (safeties coach Jacob) Yoro and (defensive coordinator Corey) Batoon do a really good job of doing that.”