Top 5 college football players to watch in Week 12

With college football’s protracted season winding down, there are still COVID-related scheduling snafus that shake up the weekly schedule. Even with these changes, Week 12 still has a few NFL draft prospects to watch.

All times are Eastern Standard Time.

• Chris Olave, Wide Receiver, Ohio State v. Indiana (12 PM, Fox): Chris Olave is OSU’s top playmaker in their passing game. While he isn’t their yardage leader, the deep threat paces the team with four receiving touchdowns and is averaging 16 yards over his 18 receptions. Olave will be relied on against a scrappy Indiana secondary to make sure the Buckeyes avoid an upset.
• Devon Matthews, Safety, Indiana v. Ohio State (12 PM, Fox): I’ve highlighted a few of the Hoosier defensive backs over the last few weeks and Devon Matthews is another standout defender in Indiana’s secondary. The 6’2” defensive back flies all over the place in coverage and as a run defender. He has a knack for the ball and will need to make big plays to keep Ohio State’s offense from moving at their typical breakneck pace.
• Paddy Fisher, Linebacker, Northwestern v. Wisconsin (3:30 PM, ABC): Fisher is a steady defender on the Northwestern defense and he’ll be crucial in slowing down Wisconsin’s physical offense. The Badgers are rolling after a huge win in Michigan and Fisher will need big plays against the run all game to keep Northwestern in the game.
• Marlon Williams, Wide Receiver, UCF v. Cincinnati (3:30 PM, ESPN): Marlon Williams is one of the top wide receivers in the nation this year. The six foot playmaker has 63 catches and eight touchdowns through seven games. UCF runs their passing game through him. Cincinnati is a legit playoff contender and Williams will need a signature game to help take them down.
• Tylan Wallace, Wide Receiver, Oklahoma State v. Oklahoma (7:30 PM, ABC): In what should be one of today’s higher scoring games, Tylan Wallace is poised to put up huge numbers against a vulnerable Oklahoma defense. The Cowboys’ top playmaker should see a lot of targets today and what he does with them could be the difference in this game.