By Matt Osborne
SouthernPigskin.com

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Virginia true freshman Quin Blanding currently leads the ACC with 89 total tackles.

The 2014 season has produced a mixed bag of results for the Virginia Cavaliers up to this point.

While the Cavaliers have undoubtedly proven to be much more competitive than they were either of the prior two campaigns, a difficult schedule has left Mike Londons team with an overall record of just 4-5 with three games remaining. And after sitting in sole possession of first place in the Coastal Division early in the season, the Cavaliers are now just 2-3 in conference action, all but eliminating themselves from contention for a spot in the ACC Championship Game.

But in a season that has resulted in many ups and down, one of the most pleasant sights for fans of the Virginia program has been the standout play of true freshman safety Quin Blanding.

Ranked as a consensus five-star recruit coming out of Bayside High School in Virginia Beach, Blanding was expected to find his way into the starting rotation very early in his collegiate career. The hope, at least from the standpoint of the coaching staff, was that Blanding would pair with veteran Anthony Harris to give the Cavaliers one of the best combinations nationally at the safety position.

Even with the lofty expectations that surrounded Blanding heading into Charlottesville, though, it would still have to be considered a pleasant surprise that Blanding has played as well as he has through his first nine games.

Earning the starting job at strong safety early in Virginias summer camp, Blanding started his collegiate career by turning in an impressive nine-tackle performance against a ranked UCLA team in the season opener.

His production has far from tempered off since that time, either.

Blanding currently leads the ACC in total tackles, with 89 stops on the season. His tackles total currently puts him two stops ahead of Duke senior linebacker David Helton, who led the conference in tackles a season ago and is in his third season as a full-time starter for the Blue Devils.

Though he has unquestionably benefitted tremendously from the wisdom imparted to him by Harris and a defensive scheme which highlights the safety position, Blandings ability to consistently produce big plays is something that simply cant be taught. In addition to his conference-leading tackles total, Blanding has also registered two interceptions in pass coverage, displaying the versatility to his game.

And the scary thing about the young man is that he will only continue to get better.

“He has a ways to go in terms of getting better,x9d Mike London commented on Blanding earlier in the season. x9cBut he soaks up everything that he’s taught and he remembers things, and it’s refreshing to have a true freshman, particularly on the back end, playing the secondary, using his talents, using the coaching that he’s being taught, knowing that off the field, he handles his business.”

The Cavaliers may have lost the attention of many viewers once they began to fall out of contention in the Coastal Division, but the emergence of Quin Blanding provides a product which is certainly worth watching.

Virginia still has improvements to be made if the Cavaliers hope to be a consistent contender in one of the most unpredictable divisions in all of college football.

At least for the next couple of season, however, Virginia fans can rest easy in the quality of the safety position.

Blanding may just be a true freshman, but he is already very much in the mix for being the most dynamic defensive back in the ACC.