Flying Under the Radar: Five Of College Football's Unsung Stars

Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, and Mark Ingram have dominated the Heisman conversation since the season began, and rightfully so.

Guys like Case Keenum, Jimmy Clausen, and Jacory Harris have been receiving a fair bit of exposure as well.

Looking past the small club of superstars, there is a group of players who I believe have done an equally remarkable job of guiding their teams without all the national attention received by the top dogs.

While they aren't really Heisman contenders, these guys deserve some well earned credit.

Josh Nesbitt, Georgia Tech

While Georgia Tech is ranked seventh in the latest BCS poll and has garnered some national attention, not much is said about their field general, Josh Nesbitt.

Nesbitt has steadied the nation's No. 1 rushing attack and has Georgia Tech at 9-1 and on top of the ACC Coastal divison.

While his passing stats won't wow you (1,223 yards, 45 percent completion rate), he has been an effective trigger man for Paul Johnson's triple option attack, rushing for 817 yards and a whopping 16 touchdowns.

Nesbitt's best game of the season came in an upset victory over then-No. 4 Virgina Tech, when he rushed for 122 yards and three touchdowns.

His tough running style has given ACC defenses fits and has proven the triple option can be effective in major college football with the right man behind center.

If Nesbitt can guide the Yellow Jackets past games against Duke, rival Georgia, and the ACC title game, it's off to the BCS for Georgia Tech.

Colin Kaepernick, Nevada

Buried in the far reaches of the college football world is the WAC conference, home to potential BCS-buster Boise State.

While the Broncos may have the best team, the Nevada Wolf Pack may just have the best player in quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Kaepernick, at 6"6, 215 lbs, is as good an athlete as you'll find at the quarterback position.

The Wolf Pack quarterback has thrown for 1,593 yards (a 61 percent completion rate) and 14 touchdowns to go along with 920 yards on the ground and an additional 12 rushing touchdowns.

Kaepernick's crowning achievement came against Idaho, where he threw for 178 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 230 yards and four touchdowns.  He has rushed for at least 100 yards in his last three outings, including that record-breaking day.

After starting 0-3, the Kaepernick-led Wolf Pack have won six straight, including five in a row in conference play, and are tied for the WAC lead with none other than Boise State.

Nevada's second-ranked offense should present Boise State with its stiffest challenge yet when the two teams meet on Nov. 27.

Toby Gerhart, Stanford

Alabama's Mark Ingram and Cal's Jahvid Best have been touted as two of the best running backs in the country and future NFL stars in the making.

No one seems to have noticed Stanford's Toby Gerhart thus far in the season, but the nation took notice on Saturday when the 235-pound bruiser rammed his way for a school record 223 yards and three touchdowns in Stanford's 51-42 upset victory over Oregon.

Gerhart is a major reason why the Cardinals are 6-3 and in the thick of the Pac-10 race. His physical running style has presented some serious problems for the softer Pac-10 defenses, and there are no signs of him slowing down.

Gerhart has rushed 1,217 yards and 16 touchdowns on the season, and with three showcase games against USC, Cal, and Notre Dame on the horizon, he could really become a national figure if he performs well.

In fact, if all of the pieces fall the right way in the conference—which at this point is a long shot (another Oregon loss, two losses by Arizona, and a win over USC)—Stanford just may make a trip to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl.

As Gerhart goes, so goes Stanford.

DeVier Posey, Ohio State

It would seem a bit odd to an include a receiver from one of the nation's worst passing offenses on this list, but I believe this guy deserves a lot of credit for making the best of his current situation as well as his help in the development of the young Terrelle Pryor.

His stats aren't in the least bit flashy (45 receptions, 672 yards and seven touchdowns), but he has been Pryor's go-to-guy this season, especially in the big games.

Against a tough USC defense, he had six catches for 81 yards and proved to be the only guy Pryor could find open downfield.  In a losing effort against Purdue, he had nine catches for 87 yards and a touchdown, as the only spark on offense. 

His best game came against Minnesota, when he caught eight balls for 161 yards and two touchdowns, including a 62-yard beauty on a broken play.

Posey is nowhere near the top of any major receiving categories, but his gutsy play has given Pryor a reliable weapon in the passing game. He deserves a lot of credit for being patient while Pryor gets his feet wet in his first year as a full-time starter.

He is only a sophomore, so he will have plenty of time to develop in to a big-time receiver in the years to come.

Bo Levi Mitchell and Kyle Padron, SMU

June Jones is at it again, this time in Dallas and not the Hawaiian islands.

Jones's Mustangs are 5-4 overall (4-1 in C-USA) and are currently tied with the Houston Cougars for the C-USA West lead.

Much of the success of the resurgent Mustangs can be attributed to their two quarterbacks, Mitchell and Padron.

Mitchell was the starter at the beginning of the season, throwing for 1,725 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has had some great passing days, throwing for 424 yards against Washington State and 353 against UAB.

Mitchell has sat out the last two weeks due to injury, but freshman Kyle Padron has filled in nicely.

Padron has thrown for 729 yards and four touchdowns in just two and a half games, with his best performance coming in the Mustangs 27-13 victory over Tulsa, where he threw for 354 yards and two touchdowns.

Neither quarterback has put up astronomical numbers, but they are doing just enough to spearhead the resurgence of the SMU program and keep the Mustangs in the hunt for bowl eligibility (which they can aquire with a victory over UTEP next weekend).

Obviously there are many players around the nation that don't nearly get the credit they deserve and these are just a few of them.  If there any players you believe need some love, feel free to comment below.