The SEC matchups made for the most interesting storylines of Week 12. Alabama suffered its first loss in conference in a close contest where Oklahoma kept the Crimson Tide’s talented receivers in check.
Oklahoma moved up in the playoff rankings, but Alabama is still in the playoff picture at #10. Georgia erupted for 21 points in the fourth quarter to dispatch Texas and send them falling out of the playoff rankings. Not only did this win move Georgia to #4 in the playoff rankings, but it allowed Utah to replace Texas as the #12 team. Texas A&M was on upset alert as it fell behind by 27 points to South Carolina. Inexplicably, the Aggies were able to come back and win the game and hold on to the #3 spot in the playoff rankings. The ACC still has no team in the top 12, but Miami is at #13 after a resounding win over NC State.
What is there watch in Week 13? #8 Oklahoma will have its hands full stopping the prolific rush offense of #22 Missouri. #7 Oregon will face #15 USC in a matchup of former Pac-12 foes. #12 Utah will look to stay in the playoff picture against Kansas State and #11 BYU will try to do the same against Cincinnati.
Below are a few players who had a good week and might be able to help out the Commanders. Let me know what you think about these prospects and feel free to post players that stood out to you.
Carlos Del Rio-Wilson | QB | RS Junior| Marshall
If the Commanders retain Kliff Kingsbury as offensive coordinator, Carlos Del Rio-Wilson would be a good developmental quarterback for the team. He redshirted at Florida in 2021 before transferring and spending the next three years at Syracuse. This season at Marshall, the 6’2”, 219 lb dual threat quarterback has put up impressive numbers. He’s completing around 68% of his passes, has thrown for almost 1,800 yards and 17 touchdowns, and has ran for almost 600 yards and four touchdowns. His arm appears strong enough to make NFL throws accurately. My biggest concern is how he reads the field. It isn’t that he does it poorly, but I have rarely seen him work through his progressions to find receivers. As a developmental QB, he could work on improving this part of the game. In a win over Georgia State, Del Rio-Wilson completed 22 of 27 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns while running for 97 yards on 17 attempts.
Kaytron Allen | RB | Senior | Penn State
Kaytron Allen went off for a career day against Michigan State, helping secure Penn State’s first conference win. He has prototypical size at 5’11”, 219 lbs, but he has the footwork of a smaller back. Allen has good vision to find open space at the line of scrimmage and, at his size, he can be difficult to bring down. Once he gets past the line of scrimmage, he lacks breakaway speed but he’ll make his fair share of explosive plays. One knock against Allen is he contributes very little in the passing game. Allen has spent his time with the Nittany Lions splitting carries with fellow NFL prospect Nick Singleton, but it’s Allen that is 140 yards away from being Penn State’s all-time leading rusher. He’s also never averaged less than five yards per carry during his career. I think he can be a lead back at the next level. Allen ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.
KC Concepcion | WR | Junior | Texas A&M
Texas A&M needed 28 unanswered points in the second half of their game against South Carolina to get the win by one point. While KC Concepcion did not find the endzone, his play put the Aggies in scoring position a number of times. Concepcion stood out last year for NC State, but he looks bigger while retaining the speed and agility that made him a coveted transfer. At 5’11”, 190 lbs, Concepcion might be a little small to be a team’s top WR, but he is a skilled player. If he doesn’t win off the line of scrimmage and beat a defender deep, the suddenness at the top of his routes allows him to create separation from defenders. His hands are reliable, allowing him to track the ball downfield and haul it in or make tough contested catches. He’ll get yards after the catch and actually fight through contact better than most receivers his size. Concepcion had seven catches and 158 yards in the comeback win over the Gamecocks.
Josh Cuevas | TE | RS Senior | Alabama
Alabama’s quarterback has referred to Josh Cuevas as his safety blanket. That showed this past weekend against Oklahoma. Cuevas was the Tide’s leading receiver with six catches, 80 yards, and a touchdown. His 6’3”, 256 lb frame makes him a competent blocker and a big receiving target. He can play inline and be a real asset as a blocker. His technique and tenacity is what you’d like to see at the position. Cuevas also has enough athleticism and skill as a receiver to line up out wide and be impactful. He’s not an elite athlete, but he is an intelligent player that sells fakes and takes advantage of the defense.
Brian Parker II | OT | RS Junior | Duke
When Graham Barton was a draft prospect at Duke, many saw him as a player that could play anywhere along the offensive line with center being his best position in the NFL. This could also be true of Brian Parker II. The Blue Devils’ right tackle is being projected as a center or guard at the next level. That’s because Parker II lacks the ideal length of a tackle in the NFL, but has the feet, hands, and strength to move to the inside. Playing center would allow him to use his quickness and leverage to get the best of slower defensive tackles. He may need to put on weight to play guard, as I’ve seen him listed at 6’5”, 300 lbs, but his aggressive demeanor would allow him to find a home at the position. Last season, Parker II did not allow a single sack on over 500 snaps.
Dani Dennis-Sutton| DE | Senior| Penn State
The Nittany Lions have not had the season they hoped for, but they did get their first Big Ten win by beating Michigan State. Dani Dennis-Sutton had one of his most impactful games of the season. He is a fantastic blend of size – 6’5”, 265 lbs – and athleticism. What stands out is his get off at the snap and his fluidity. He can win with spin moves and with explosiveness around the edge. His length allows him to use just a few steps to get around tackles. He’s an excellent run defender and plays screens well. He’s even so athletic, he can drop and cover tight ends and running backs. I’d like to see him develop more pass rush moves as he can rely on his size and athleticism too much. Dennis-Sutton had two sacks and a blocked punt, his third of the season, in the win over the Spartans.
Rasheem Biles | LB | Junior | Pittsburgh
Pitt has two NFL-calibr linebackers in Kyle Louis and Rasheem Biles. Interestingly, both are only 6’1”, 220 lbs, but they are playmakers because they play so fast. Biles had the more productive game against Notre Dame. A converted defensive back, he used his speed to run down WR screens and chase receivers down the field. His speed and athleticism allows him to be effective dropping into coverage downfield. Now, Pitt lost to Notre Dame this weekend in part because they could not stop Jeremiyah Love. Biles’ size makes it hard for him to take on and shed blockers. He finished the day with nine tackles, two for a loss, a half sack, and a pick-six.
Keith Abney II | CB | Junior | Arizona State
If the Commanders want a physical, aggressive corner, Keith Abney II should be high on their list. The Sun Devils play him in a variety of coverages, trusting his physical and mental abilities to take away the opposing team’s best receiver. At 6’0”, 190 lbs, he has enough size for the position. His footwork allows him to mirror receivers throughout their routes. It looks like he has the speed necessary to run with NFL receivers downfield. At the catch point, Abney is competitive and does a good job of locating the ball to make a play on it. He isn’t afraid of making a hit or contributing in the run game. My concerns are you can see some lack of agility that could be exploited by quicker receivers. Abney II ensured victory over West Virginia with an interception to go along with four tackles, a forced fumble, and two PBUs.
Braden Awls| Safety | Junior | Toledo
Braden Awls is one of college football’s interception leaders with five on the season. Toledo often lines him up over the slot and allows him to play robber in the middle of the defense. He excels at this role because of his instincts. Awls also reacts more quickly to passes than quarterbacks anticipate. That allows him to jump routes and take away the ball. He has flashed the ability to cover the slot, but I would like to see more of this against better competition before I’m sold he can play this role in the NFL. What I haven’t seen is how physical Awls is as a tackler and in run support, but he is the Rockets’ fourth-leading tackler with 43 total. In a win over Miami of Ohio, Awls had two tackles, a PBU, and an interception.
