NFL Draft Watch is your weekly guide for college players worth keeping an eye on leading up to April's draft.
On the Rise
Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana
Indiana's star running back is having a season every team wishes it could call its own. The Hoosiers sit at 3-3 ahead of their game against No. 8 Michigan State, but if they have any chance of winning, Tevin Coleman is it.
Although the team has been lackluster and inconsistent, Coleman has been far from it, compiling an amazing season though six games.
He's carried the ball 120 times and run for a nation-leading 1,060 yards and 11 touchdowns. He's taken the Hoosier offense on his back, giving them a chance to win every week.
Coleman could very well leave the team at the end of the season to declare for the NFL draft, which would be detrimental to the Hoosiers, though not a shock.
But he's here now, he's going to keep getting the ball, and despite the fact he likely won't win the Heisman, he's been of the best players in the country.
Devon Johnson, RB, Marshall
Johnson is a big reason why the Marshall Thundering Herd cracked the AP Top 25 and remain 6-0.
Among the strongest and fastest players in college football, Johnson quietly put up his second consecutive three-touchdown game on 134 rushing yards on Saturday.
So far this season, he's got 11 touchdowns to go with a sparkling 814 yards on the ground, good for No. 8 in the country.
Considering the 6-foot-1, 243-pound running back only had five carries in 2013, he's having a season to remember this time around.
Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
In every literal sense of the term, Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon is fast.
He's fast on the field, he's fast in his thinking, and now he's the fastest Badger to reach 1,000 yards in a single season.
Overall, it's been a frustrating season for Wisconsin. But Gordon has been more than a bright spot - he's been a catalyst. Saturday was no different, as Gordon marched to four touchdowns against a feeble Illinois squad that could do nothing but watch.
In the last four weeks he's run for 253, 181, 259 and 175 yards, respectively. Not only that but he's scored 13 total touchdowns through six games this season after scoring 12 in all of 2013.
At this rate, Gordon is on pace to rush for more than 2,000 yards this year. Add in the potential for 25 to 30 touchdowns and you've got yourself a man in the thick of the Heisman Trophy conversation.
On the Decline
Joey Iosefa, RB, Hawaii
Hawaii's standout running back suffered a setback earlier this season when he went down with an injury.
But on the cusp of his return, Joey Iosefa killed his draft stock when he was arrested this week for suspicion of driving under the influence.
The school promptly suspended Iosefa for three games and stripped him of his captaincy.
Last season, Iosefa emerged as the Rainbow Warriors' front-runner for the NFL Draft, rushing for a career-high 590 yards and five touchdowns.
Cody Kessler, QB, USC
USC's pivot has been on the decline for some time now.
In the Trojan's key matchup against Arizona, a missed field goal by the Wildcats gave him the victory.
That being said, Kessler threw for a marginal 185 yards - close to his worst mark this season - with one touchdown and an interception.
The week prior, he couldn't get anything going, either, throwing for 273 yards on 28-of-45 passing for no touchdowns.
Kessler needs to straighten himself out and stop hitting peaks and valleys. In Week 1 he threw four touchdowns, the following week, none. Then in Week 3, four more touchdowns. He's thrown three since.
If Kessler wants to attract NFL Scouts, he needs to prove that he's not only capable behind center, but consistent.
Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
It's tough to get suspended and see your draft stock go up, regardless of the reason.
There's an argument that players like Johnny Manziel, who was suspended for selling his autographs, were still selected in the first round.
But Todd Gurley hasn't won a Heisman and he certainly won't after this. Not only that, but merely being selected somewhere in the first round isn't the goal for someone with Marshawn Lynch capabilities.
The Georgia running back sat out last week after he was suspended indefinitely. His team showed they're more than OK without him, but it would help to have him in the backfield nonetheless.
