While at Bayside High School (Virginia Beach, VA), Quin Blanding had visions of “building a dynasty” at the University of Virginia. While those aspirations have not come to fruition, his decision to stay one more year could help lay the foundation for future success for the Virginia Cavalier football program.

The most obvious immediate benefit, of course, is the fact that Virginia now gets back the services both of its All-American defensive players. With 120 and 134 tackles, respectively, Blanding and linebacker Micah Kiser combined for 29.3% of the team’s tackles in 2016. In spite of an injury that slowed him down at least for the early part of the season, Blanding led the team in solo tackles, tied for second in interceptions with two, and had six pass break-ups his junior campaign.

Looking forward to coaching both Quin & Micah again next season. Outstanding young men. Their decisions are great for college football. – Bronco Mendenhall’s tweet following Blanding’s announcement.

Blanding has been a model of consistency in his Cavalier career, totaling a minimum of 115 tackles in each of his first three seasons. The list of accolades he received for his junior season performance includes first-team All-ACC honors by the AP and the coaches, as well as Sporting News All-American (second-team).

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