K-State LB Arthur Brown, a preseason All-American, is tied for the Big 12 lead in tackles for loss with three. (US Presswire)

3 on the rise

  • LB Arthur Brown, Kansas State: Brown played sideline to sideline -- and often in Miami's backfield -- in K-State's 52-13 win against his old team. The senior linebacker, who started his career at Miami, totaled 10 tackles, two tackles for a loss, a sack and one fumble recovery in the Wildcats' dominant performance. Brown looks the part of an NFL linebacker and he has the instincts to go along with the talent. "You can't really see it until you watch film and when you see Arthur make those plays from sideline to sideline, it's really humbling," K-State DT Vai Lutui told the Topeka Capital-Journal. "And you know he's going to go to the league."
  • WR Tracy Moore Oklahoma State: A week ago Moore appeared in this space below. Moore's third run-in with the law in six months earned him a suspension in Week 1 and another hit to his reputation. He showed in Saturday's loss to Arizona, he might be worth the risk. Moore looks to be the next big-play receiver for the Cowboys as four of his eight catches against the Wildcats went for touchdowns. In the OSU offense, Moore is sure to put up big numbers and he has the size (6-2, 215 pounts) to make it in the NFL. 
  • LB Jake Knott, Iowa State: The play Knott made to seal Iowa State's 9-6 win at Iowa on Saturday (see video below) showed off the type of athleticism that will earn him a spot playing on Sundays. If the Big 12 defensive player of the week doesn't make it to the NFL, he should always have a job in Ames. "Jake Knott made that kind of play in a series that will have him go down in history," coach Paul Rhoads told the Ames Tribune. Knott and fellow linebacker A.J. Klein have helped the Cyclones open the season 2-0 despite the fact that they've been underdogs in both games. Knott notched six tackles against Iowa to go along with his interception. 

(Uploaded by Big12Conference)

2 who are falling

  • QB Dayne Crist, Kansas: Crist appears in the "stock falling" list for the second straight week and it's beginning to make sense why he never cemented his spot in the Notre Dame lineup. Crist has the arm strength of an NFL quarterback and the measurables -- he's 6-4 -- but Crist lacks the accuracy and feel in the pocket to make it in the NFL. Through two weeks, he has gone 33 of 64 with three interceptions and only two touchdowns. It's not that the Jayhawks have asked Crist to do too much either. He has a running game that's gone for 496 yards through two weeks, which forced Rice to stack the box in the second half on Saturday. Crist was unable to make them pay.
  • RB Malcolm Brown, Texas: Brown was the top running back in his class when he came out of high school in 2011 and as close to a sure-fire future NFL running back as you get. He led the Longhorns in rushing last year as a freshman and ran for 105 yards and a TD in the opener. That's what made Brown's statline so odd on Saturday against New Mexico -- two carries for five yards. The Texas coaches said it was just a coincidence that Brown didn't get more carries, so we probably shouldn't read too much into this. But still, the Lobos ranked 119th against the run last year and the Longhorns, who are supposed to be a running team, racked up only 146 yards on the ground. Maybe they're saving Brown and company for the Big 12 season. Brown's usage is definitely something to keep an eye on.

For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis from Big 12 bloggers C.J. Moore and Patrick Southern, follow@CBSSportsBig12 on Twitter. You can also follow C.J. (@cjmoore4) and Patrick (@patricksouthern) as well.