Week 13 Maxwell Football Club Players of the Week

The Maxwell Football Club honors college football's top performers over the course of the season through weekly awards. The Maxwell Player of the Week award is given to the top offensive player, and the Bednarik Player of the Week award is given to the top defensive player.

Here are the players who shined brighter than the rest in Week 13.

Maxwell Player of the Week

RB Devin Neal, Kansas

Sitting at 2-6 with four games to play, Neal and the Kansas Jayhawks (5-6, 4-4 Big 12 Conference) had every reason to give up on a season that had once held so much potential. When faced with adversity, however, the Jayhawks refused to back down. Heading into their Nov. 23 matchup against the No. 16 Colorado Buffaloes (8-3, 6-2), Kansas had won two straight games against ranked opponents and was full of confidence. Against a Colorado team with College Football Playoff aspirations, though, the Jayhawks would once again need their best players to step up to continue their late-season surge.

Neal did not just step up for the Jayhawks—his effort resulted in a statement win for the Kansas program and the statement performance of his decorated collegiate career. The senior running back set the tone for the Jayhawks offense throughout, scoring every Kansas touchdown and helping his team pull away from a dynamic Colorado offense full of flashy playmakers.

Neal finished the game with 37 carries for an absurd 207 yards rushing in addition to 4 receptions for 80 yards and 4 total touchdowns. He led the Jayhawks in both rushing and receiving and carried a Kansas backfield that accounted for 331 rushing yards. It was clear this would be a special performance from Neal from the opening drive of the game, when Neal took a screen pass 51 yards for an early touchdown.

Neal continued to be a reliable force for the offense throughout. When Colorado scored after halftime to pull within two points of the Jayhawks' lead, the Kansas offense remained methodical and poised as a result of Neal's continued success in the rushing attack. The Jayhawks possessed the ball for more than 19 minutes in the second half and scored touchdowns on back-to-back drives to put the finishing touches on a 37-21 victory.

The standout performance resulted in Neal cementing his name in the school's record books as the first Jayhawk in history to top 1,000 rushing yards in three seasons. The win also kept alive the Jayhawks' bowl aspirations that seemed to be on life support just a few weeks ago. More importantly, Neal's performance displayed a tenacity and resilience that breathed life into a Kansas football program that was reeling from failed expectations. While the 2024 season did not live up to hopes of supporters, Jayhawks fans can rest assured that the program is still heading in the right direction in 2025 and beyond.

Bednarik Player of the Week

LB Cody Simon, Ohio State

All week, Simon and the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeye (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten Conference) defense was faced with questions about how they would slow down the explosive No. 5 Indiana Hoosier (10-1, 7-1) offense. The questions were more than justified, as Indiana possessed one of the top offensive units in the country, averaging 43.9 points per game and 453.2 yards per game. In the Nov. 23 conference matchup, Simon led a unit that proved to be too much for even the high-flying Hoosiers.

The senior captain of the defense came up with the performance of his career in a game that had crucial conference title and CFP implications for both teams. Simon brought a ferocious intensity, constantly disrupting the Indiana offense and putting pressure on quarterback Kurtis Rourke.

Simon finished the game with a team-leading 10 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. His tenacity resulted in the Indiana offense managing just 153 total yards, more than 300 yards short of their season average.

As a result of the defensive performance, Ohio State continues to control their own destiny in the race for a spot in the Big Ten Championship and a coveted first-round bye in the CFP. As long as Simon continues to bring the same leadership and tenacity to every game, Buckeyes fans have every reason to believe that a run to the National Championship is possible.