Every team has one — the do-everything player who rarely grabs the headlines but is one of the biggest reasons for success. To their teammates, though, they are not working in obscurity and deserve a little love.
So here is a little love as we recognize the most unheralded player on each Top 25 team.
In his first year on defense, Kendrick helped transform Clemson’s secondary into one of the top units in the country. After starting his career at receiver, Kendrick made the switch before the 2019 season and allowed just 5.3 yards per target, the best rate among all Clemson defenders, while surrendering just two completions of more than 20 yards. — David M. Hale
Ohio State fans don’t undervalue wide receiver Olave, but it seems he doesn’t get the national recognition he should. He was overshadowed last season by Justin Fields and running back J.K. Dobbins on offense as well as what Chase Young was doing on defense. But all Olave did was lead one of the best offenses in receiving yards and touchdowns. Despite his stats, people are still talking about what sophomore receiver Garrett Wilson can do in his second season and how much of an impact Fields will have in his second go-round. Olave’s production compared to the national talk and attention he gets is lopsided, and if he continues the rise he sees each season, he should start to garner more attention. — Tom VanHaaren