Not much went right for Virginia last season, but things could have been worse entering 2017. Virginia could have lost its two best players on defense.
Instead, linebacker Micah Kiser and safety Quin Blanding decided to return, and that news itself belongs in the noteworthy category. The duo finished 1-2 in tackles in the ACC last season. Since the league started keeping tackle-leader statistics in 1990, no tackling tandem has led the league in consecutive seasons.
For Blanding, the decision to return instead of entering the NFL draft might have caught some by surprise.