As we know from Scarlet and Gray Games of the past, the best performers don't always lock up a starting position or even earn extra snaps in the process. There are several historical examples of players who can speak to that.
Somewhat derisively, almost every Ohio State beat writer has made the "Bam Childress Award" joke since the launch of Twitter (not judging, 11W is guilty of it too). Childress seemingly played well every April without doing much in the fall. He was, in essence, well known because of his spring game exploits. Credit to him for playing in the NFL, though.