College football players are running out of weeks to catch the eyes of NFL scouts. Week 12 of the college football season is upon us, and NFL Draft boards are slowly starting to take shape.
2013 NFL Draft preview for Week 12 of college football
Three interesting Week 12 games and the NFL Draft prospects to watch in each one.
Chris Graythen
Let’s dive right into the three big match-ups of the weekend.
Arkansas at Mississippi State - 12:20 p.m. - SEC Network
Mississippi State’s promising season took a turn for the worse, with three straight conference losses. Meanwhile, Arkansas’ season was doomed from the start.
When the Razorbacks have the football, Tyler Wilson will naturally be the center of attention. Mississippi State cornerback Johnthan Banks will give the Arkansas receivers all they can handle. Both Wilson and Banks still have a shot at being the first seniors off the board at their respective positions. The final few games will be crucial for their draft position.
The running backs in this game are also intriguing. Mississippi State's LaDarius Perkins has been a favorite of mine all season, although he is just a junior. For Arkansas, Knile Davis will carry the rock. Injuries have derailed what once looked like a promising football career. He is now a mid-round prospect.
North Carolina State at Clemson - 3:30 p.m. - ABC
Clemson figures to make easy work of North Carolina State, but that doesn’t mean the game won’t be interesting for NFL Draft implications.
NC State quarterback Mike Glennon is worth watching when the Wolfpack has the ball. He has shown flashes this season and has a shot to be taken in the first round in April.
The more intriguing match-up is one the other side of the ball, though. Clemson quarterback Tahj Boyd is rumored to be considering entering the draft. He has two big time targets on the outside, though only Deandre Hopkins is draft eligible. Hopkins will likely draw NC State junior cornerback David Amerson, who has seen his stock cool off a bit since the beginning of the season as some of his flaws have been exposed. Regardless, it will be fun to watch those two elite athletes do battle on the outside.
Oklahoma at West Virginia - 7 p.m. - FOX
This game wil be a story of two quarterbacks who gone in opposite directions this season. West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith has done a ton to improve his draft stock this season, showing incredible pocket presence and deep accuracy.
Oklahoma's signal caller, Landry Jones, has continued the struggles from his junior season. He breaks down under pressure and his mechanics suffer. At this point, he's not even looking like a second day prospect.
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