GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida's offensive line appears to be getting a big boost as the team gets set to begin fall camp on Friday.

The unit has widely been hailed as the singular key to success for an offense that returns virtually everyone at the skill positions but must replace four of five starters up front. The Gators anticipate getting swing offensive lineman Noah Banks back for the start of fall camp.

"He's got a couple other things he's still working on, but I know he wants to get back with the team," coach Dan Mullen said. "Everything that I've been told is we're on track that he's going to be set ready to practice tomorrow."

Banks suffered an epileptic episode during a practice leading up to the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl in December. He had not been cleared to practice since then, missing the rest of bowl prep and the game against Michigan, as well as all of spring practice.

However, Banks had been working out with the team in most of the strength and conditioning work over the offseason.

"One of the things, he and I sat down," Mullen said. "I think he knew we were a hundred percent behind him and so (he) went through all the spring, was real uncertain, and then he came and he came back a hundred percent all in.

"It was him saying, 'I want to come back and play,' which was the mindset we needed to have. And I think it got down to, 'Coach, OK, I missed a bunch of time, I've got to get my body back right ready to go play. ... He did individual workouts with coach (Nick) Savage to get himself back in shape before he went back with the team. And to make sure as he was working out, he was comfortable, ready to go back. And I think when he got back in shape with those individual workouts, started feeling really comfortable, he got back into the full team workouts and got ready to go."

Apparently now he's in line for a full return, great news for a Florida offensive line that needs to add some quality depth and the experience Banks can provide.

Banks is a redshirt senior who arrived to Florida as a junior college prospect out of Iowa Western College. He appeared in 12 games for Florida last fall, recording his first career start against Idaho.

He played both guard and tackle for Florida during practices and could be a key utility guy for the Gators on the offensive line if his health holds up.

"It is great for us to have him back," Mullen said. "I know that one of the main reasons we recruited him is looking at our roster and knowing that you're going to be in this situation (with few experienced guys in 2019), he was going to be a critical part of the team. Getting him healthy, being able to make sure that he's healthy to contribute, is huge for us."