Cameron Newton, Kellen Moore, Alshon Jeffery, Matt Barkley, Andy Dalton, Denard Robinson, Terrelle Pryor and LaMichael James are all gifted athletes who certainly deserve their accolades. But there are also some exceptional players who haven't received the recognition that they deserve. Remember, for every Matt Leinart or Jason White who basks in the spotlight of Heisman, there is a Tom Brady getting another Super Bowl ring sized. Sometimes, it's good to fly under the radar.
— Lisa Horne

No offense to Scott Tolzien, Terrelle Pryor, Ricky Stanzi or Kirk Cousins, but the best quarterback in the Big Ten is Persa. Indiana's Ben Chappell is ranked ahead of Persa in passing yardage, but Persa, averaging over 257 yards per game and almost nine yards a pass, is completing a sick 74.4 percent of his passes. Nobody, except for Arizona's Nick Foles, comes close to that, and Persa's 12-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio makes his case even stronger. Accurate, consistent and mostly mistake-free play while playing on an underachieving BCS conference team screams No. 1 underrated player in college football.

The Aloha State has blessed college football with the most underrated wide receiver duo in the country in Salas and Kealoha Pilares. Hawaii gets the rap of all pass, no run and no defense, but this year, the Warriors are special. Salas leads the nation in receiving yards (Pilares is fourth), and averages over 15 yards a catch, with games of 124, 131, 197, 148, 153, 158 and 168 yards on his 2010 resume. If you thought all Boise State had to worry about was Nevada, circle the Broncos' date with Hawaii on Saturday and take the over. First one to 60 points wins.

Kellen Moore? Check. Bryant Moniz? Check. Andy Dalton? Check. Jordan Wynn? Who? Yes, he's only ranked No. 58 in the nation in passing yardage, which means he doesn't pass as much as the guys above him. But look carefully at what he has done so far — 69.1 percent accuracy, 13 touchdowns, six  interceptions and a rocking 162.41 passer rating. His Utes are ranked No. 5 in the BCS poll while everyone else is debating the merits of Boise State's No. 4 ranking. So yeah, he's flying way under the radar — just like the Utes did in the 2008 season, which ended in the Sugar Bowl against Alabama. Boom.

This is typical Cal midseason football — win a few, drop a few and most of the games are not very close in score. Aggravating? Yes. But when it comes to recruiting top-notch, NFL-caliber players, Jeff Tedford has an uncanny knack of recognizing great talent. Vereen is a multi-purpose back who, when given around 20 rushing attempts, gets to triple digits more often than not. Vereen is underrated simply for the fact that we don't think he's being utilized enough in an offense that needs a clear leader.

The WAC is known for its prolific passing attacks, and Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick's numbers don't contradict that — he averages more than 208 passing yards per game with a 68.1 percent completion percentage. But part of a quarterback's key to success is having a good running game, and Nevada's lethal pistol offense is led by Taua. A brute force for opposing defenses, this 5-10, 220 pound bowling ball is punishing, and there's no better back in the country in short-yardage conversions. Sundays are calling.

This is all you need to know about the Aztec freshman: He rushed for 228 yards — including one run of 93 yards — averaging a hair under 10 yards a carry in a heart-breaking loss at Missouri. Hillman backed up that breakout performance with a 191-yard, two-touchdown effort against a ranked Air Force team two weeks ago. Yes, Hillman is a true freshman and currently battling a hip injury, but wouldn't it be sweet if Hillman got revenge for a Heisman snub committed less than two decades ago? Marshall Faulk approves this message.

Virginia Tech's defense has always been a source of pride for coach Frank Beamer, but the Hokies took some heat after falling to both Boise State and James Madison in the first two weeks of the season. So who stepped up to turn things around? Meet sophomore Hosely, who is currently tied for the second in the nation in both passes defended and interceptions. Hosley has already been named an FWAA/Bronko Nagurski Defensive Player of the Week and Jim Thorpe Defensive back of the Week. Against North Carolina State, he had three interceptions, four pass deflections and six tackles. Beast.

With Sooners running back DeMarco Murray gathering most of the press in Oklahoma, another running back in the Big 12 South is quietly making a his presence felt. This 5-8, 200-pound senior is a slashing runner that can stop on a dime, but his stature makes him a bit iffy for NFL scouts. He's No. 3 nationally in rushing yardage, racking up 1,174 yards in eight games (more than 146 yards per game). At a school known more for a prolific passing offense, Hunter's two games over 200 yards (257 vs. Washington State, 201 vs. Nebraska) got our attention.

A true freshman leading the Pac-10 in receiving yards is special, and the 6-3, 173-pound Wilson is just that. Against Stanford, Wilson snagged six passes for 150 yards and a touchdown, and now ranks seventh in the nation in receiving yards. With Wilson now firmly established as quarterback Jeff Tuel's favorite target, he has hit triple digits in receiving yards five times. There is hope in Pullman, Wash. — let's hope he gets more pub.

Despite the doom and gloom surrounding the Big East, the 6-foot-1, 215-pound Powell deserves more props. With 1,067 yards after eight games, Powell is on pace to finish this season with over 1,600 yards. His 2010 stats are impressive: back-to-back 200-yard rushing games, three consecutive games with 200+ multi-purpose yards and a No. 5 national ranking in scoring. With fantastic field awareness and great patience behind his blockers, Powell has redeemed himself after two less-productive seasons.