There was a time, not long ago, when the best seniors in college football had a long list of invitations from postseason all-star games, some of them located in desirable winter locations.

Those days are over.

The all-star games that remain, however, remain populated with ACC products, despite the fact that the conference was far short of overwhelming on the field in 2007. Even the highest-profile game, the Senior Bowl, which will be played Saturday in Mobile, Ala., has a whopping 17 former ACC players on its roster.

"If you're a college senior, this is the invitation you want. This is the place to be," said NFL analyst Bucky Brooks, who is covering the Senior Bowl this week for Sports Illustrated and SI.com. "There are scouts and personnel people everywhere, and you play with and against the highest level of competition available in these (all-star) games. As I've looked around this week, I'd say that the ACC is very well-represented. The ACC is producing plenty of quality talent right now."

Brooks, a former wide receiver at Millbrook High, North Carolina and in the NFL, said it's important to remember that the ACC also has several draft-eligible players — including Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, Virginia defensive end Chris Long and Miami safety Kenny Phillips — who project as first-round draft picks this year but will not appear in the all-star games. As an early entry to the NFL draft, Phillips is not eligible to play in the games.

"Some of the players who are considered first-round draft picks are listening to their advisors, who tell them not to play in these (all-star) games, because in their eyes only bad things can happen," Brooks said. "Injuries are always a possibility in this sport, obviously, and some guys already like their draft projection and don't want to jeopardize it. For the guys who are here (at the Senior Bowl), though, this is a great opportunity to improve their stock and make an impression."

There are only four all-star games for college seniors this year. A scheduled fifth contest, the North-South Classic, was cancelled. Last year another event, the All-American Classic in Las Vegas, was cancelled one week before its scheduled kickoff. Two more games, the Blue-Gray All-Star Classic in Alabama and the Gridiron Classic in Orlando, have not returned since their 2003 and 2005 editions, respectively.

Below is a list of ACC products in this year's college all-star games.

Jan. 12, Hula Bowl, Honolulu

From the ACC: Boston College tailback Andre Callender, Virginia offensive guard Ian-Yates Cunningham, Maryland tight end Joey Haynos, Wake Forest deep snapper Nick Jarvis, Maryland tailback Keon Lattimore, Virginia Tech wide receiver Josh Morgan, Virginia Tech defensive tackle Carlton Powell, North Carolina defensive end Hilee Taylor.

Jan. 19, East-West Shrine Game, Houston

From the ACC: Virginia Tech offensive tackle Duane Brown, Maryland offensive guard Andrew Crummey, Boston College linebacker Jolonn Dunbar, Georgia Tech linebacker Gary Guyton, Virginia Tech wide receiver Justin Harper, Wake Forest deep snapper Nick Jarvis, Virginia Tech safety D.J. Parker, Boston College safety Jamie Silva.

Jan. 26, Senior Bowl, Mobile, Ala.

From the ACC: Virginia Tech linebacker Xavier Adibi, Georgia Tech punter Durant Brooks, Boston College offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus, Georgia Tech tailback Tashard Choice, Virginia Tech defensive end Chris Ellis, Florida State defensive tackle Andre Fluellen, Georgia Tech linebacker Gary Guyton, Wake Forest center Steve Justice, Maryland defensive tackle Dre Moore, N.C. State defensive tackle DeMario Pressley, Clemson offensive tackle Barry Richardson, Georgia Tech defensive end Darrell Robertson, Virginia Tech wide receiver Eddie Royal, Florida State deep snapper Garrison Sanborn, Wake Forest defensive end Jeremy Thompson, Boston College cornerback DeJuan Tribble, Georgia Tech linebacker Philip Wheeler. North Carolina defensive tackle Kentwan Balmer and Miami linebacker Tavares Gooden withdrew from the game because of injuries. Also: Former North Carolina wide receiver Adarius Bowman (Oklahoma State).

Feb. 2, Texas Vs. Nation, El Paso, Texas

From the ACC: N.C. State wide receiver Darrell Blackman, Florida State offensive guard Jacky Claude, Virginia kicker Chris Gould, Maryland safety J.J. Justice, Florida State deep snapper Garrison Sanborn, Miami cornerback Glenn Sharpe, Clemson linebacker Nick Watkins. Also: Former Georgia Tech wide receiver Patrick Carter (Louisville), former Virginia Tech defensive back Michael Hinton (Mankato State) and former Virginia linebacker Vince Redd (Liberty).

NOTE: Rosters for college football all-star games often have additions and subtractions in the days leading up to the event.