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Pick 6: Top players toiling for teams likely to struggle

FILE - In this Oct. 22, 2016, file photo, Massachusetts tight end Adam Breneman (81) catches a pass against South Carolina linebacker T.J. Holloman (11) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Columbia, S.C. Breneman was a huge recruit who went to Penn State, but injuries held him back in Happy Valley and he decided to give up football completely after the 2015 season. His best friend, UMass quarterback Andrew Ford, helped to change Breneman's mind. He joined the Minutemen August 2016, admittedly not in the best of shape, and ended up with 70 catches for 808 yards and eight touchdowns. Breneman at his best could be the best tight end in the country. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford, File)
FILE - In this Oct. 22, 2016, file photo, Massachusetts tight end Adam Breneman (81) catches a pass against South Carolina linebacker T.J. Holloman (11) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Columbia, S.C. Breneman was a huge recruit who went to Penn State, but injuries held him back in Happy Valley and he decided to give up football completely after the 2015 season. His best friend, UMass quarterback Andrew Ford, helped to change Breneman's mind. He joined the Minutemen August 2016, admittedly not in the best of shape, and ended up with 70 catches for 808 yards and eight touchdowns. Breneman at his best could be the best tight end in the country. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford, File) FILE - In this Oct. 22, 2016, file photo, Massachusetts tight end Adam Breneman (81) catches a pass against South Carolina linebacker T.J. Holloman (11) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Columbia, S.C. Breneman was a huge recruit who went to Penn State, but injuries held him back in Happy Valley and he decided to give up football completely after the 2015 season. His best friend, UMass quarterback Andrew Ford, helped to change Breneman's mind. He joined the Minutemen August 2016, admittedly not in the best of shape, and ended up with 70 catches for 808 yards and eight touchdowns. Breneman at his best could be the best tight end in the country. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford, File)

By Associated Press 4 min read

When The Associated Press preseason All-America team was released Tuesday, eight schools placed multiple players on the all-star squads: Ohio State, Alabama, Florida State, Clemson, Washington, Penn State, USC and Virginia.

Wait, Virginia? Yes, Virginia.

The Cavaliers are coming of a 3-9 season, and odds of a major turnaround in Year Two under Bronco Mendenhall are not promising. Still, Virginia will field two of the best defensive players in the country in safety Quin Blanding and linebacker Micah Kiser.

The Cavaliers ranked second-to-last in the Atlantic Coast Conference in yards allowed per play last season. Blanding and Kiser were not the issue. Kiser made 134 tackles and 6.5 sacks. Blanding, a versatile safety who can line up in various spots, had 120 tackles and two interceptions. Both could have jumped to the NFL early but decided to return for their senior seasons, hoping to turn around a program that has not reached a bowl game since 2011.

Good players can get lost on bad teams, but here are a few more that will be worth seeking out in 2017. Just don’t wait until bowl season, because it will probably be too late.