Why do the "underdog" players always get ignored until it's too late?

I’ve been watching a lot of college sports lately, and it’s crazy how much the national media tends to obsess over the same three or four flashy names every single year. It feels like if you aren't playing for a blue-blood program with a massive budget, nobody even bothers to look at your stats. You can be playing incredibly efficient, smart football, but if you aren't in the spotlight, you're basically invisible to the pundits.

It's actually kind of frustrating to watch. I remember following a few different players back in the day who everyone called "mediocre" or "unproven," only to see them absolutely dominate the league a year later once they finally got their shot. There’s always that one player in every conference who is just waiting for the right system or the right coaching staff to catch fire, and by the time the rest of the world notices, they're already winning championships.

I feel like we’re overdue for a breakout from one of the teams that everyone currently writes off. Who is a player you think is being totally overlooked right now just because they aren't at a "prestigious" school?