Kirk Herbstreit ranks top players of college football Week 13

Week 13’s college football slate brought with it shocking outcomes and no shortage of highlight reel plays and big-time performances from across the country as the regular season winds down.

Following a more-than-eventful week across the country, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit ran through his picks and ranked the top performing players in his eyes after another exciting list of games — including a surprising extra addition at the end which SEC fans (who don’t reside in Oxford) may find interesting.

Devin Neal – Kansas

Kansas running back Devin Neal physically carried the Jayhawks to victory during Saturday’s 37-21 upset over No. 16 Colorado. He was given a career-high 37 carries and totled 207 rushing yards to go with three touchdowns on the ground.

He added four receptions for 80 yards with a receiving touchdown to boot. He outscored the Buffaloes by himself, rightfully earning Herbstreit’s top spot after the massive upset.

Payton Thorne, Cam Coleman – Auburn

Herbstreit added Auburn wide receiver Cam Coleman and quarterback Payton Thorne on the same ticket because of the chemistry the duo showed during thre four overtime upset win over Texas A&M on Saturday.

Thorne went 19-of-31 passing for 301 yards, two touchdowns and an interception during Week 13, while Coleman caught seven of those passes for 128 yards. He was responsible for both of Thorne’s touchdowns on Saturday night, including a highlight-reel 63-yard score in the first quarter.

Caleb Banks – Florida

Florida’s defensive unit kept the high-flying Ole Miss Rebels in check scoring-wise, and was aided in a major way by junior DL Caleb Banks. He totaled 2.5 sacks during the contest to go with four tackles and a pass breakup on the afternoon.

The 6-foot-6, 325-pound defensive lineman more than doubled his sack numbers on the year with the performance. He now has at least one sack in the last two games after going four appearances without one.

Pat Bryant – Illinois

Pat Bryant’s game-winning touchdown reception on a last-second catch and run will be one of the highlights of the regular season when the 2024 season is over. Caught near the opposite hash mark, Bryant was able to outrun the Rutgers defense to break the tie to escape the Scarlet Knights with a 38-31 victory.

Bryant finished the game with seven catches for 197 yards to go with the last-second touchdown. He now has 50 receptions on the season with 914 receiving yards and nine touchdowns to his credit.

Darrell Gill Jr. – Syracuse

Sophomore wide receiver Darrell Gill Jr. was Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord‘s favorite target during the Orange’s 31-24 win over UConn during Week 13.

Gill caught nine passes for 177 yards during the contest as McCord passed for a career-high 470 yards during the contest. Before that, Gill had never had more than four receptions in a single game. His previous career-high receiving total (55) came during a loss to Stanford earlier this season.

Fernando Mendoza – Cal

Cal’s Fernando Mendoza has been one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the Big Ten this season, and he turned in another strong performance during a gritty 24-21 win over Stanford.

Trailing 21-10 entering the fourth quarter, Mendoza threw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to lead his team to the comeback victory. He finished with 299 passing yards and three scores during the contest while also earning Cal its sixth win of the season, making them bowl eligible.

Cam Skattebo – Arizona State

Arizona State proved its worth following Week 13’s 28-23 upset win over BYU — and the play from Cam Skattebo is a major reason the Sun Devils were able to beat the Cougars inside Mountain America Stadium.

He totaled 147 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries during the upset win. That puts the senior tailback up to 1,221 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season, good for fourth best in the Big-12 Conference this season.

The Swamp – Florida

It’s no secret that playing in The Swamp is no easy task for road teams, and they’ve been playing their best football inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium down the stretch this season.

Florida hasn’t lost at home since Sept. 14 and has won its last five games in front of its loyal fans. While the Gators will be playing on the road at Florida State during the regulat season finale, Gators fans were treated to back-to-back weeks of big-time Florida football during wins against LSU and Ole Miss.