Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel and Miami quarterback Cam Ward were announced today as the finalists for the Heisman Trophy.

The award will be handed out Saturday in New York and it will likely be one of the rare times in recent years where the winner plays a position other than quarterback, with Hunter and Jeanty being the favorites.

The Heisman has gone to a quarterback 20 times since Chris Weinke of Florida State won it in 2000.

Seven of the last eight winners have been quarterbacks, five of which have been transfers, including LSU’s Jayden Daniels last year. The lone non-QB over that span was Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith in 2020.

Jeanty is trying to become the first running back to win the Heisman since Alabama’s Derrick Henry in 2015. The only other running backs to win it this century were USC’s Reggie Bush in 2005 and Alabama’s Mark Ingram in 2009.

Jeanty is having a historic season, closing in on Barry Sanders’ official NCAA rushing record of 2,628 yards. Remarkably, Sanders did that in 11 games during his 1988 Heisman-winning season for Oklahoma State. He had another 222 yards in a bowl game that doesn’t officially count toward the record.

Jeanty heads into the College Football Playoff with 2,497 yards rushing and 30 touchdowns for the Mountain West champion Broncos (12-1), who received the No. 3 seed and a bye into the quarterfinals.

Hunter is the favorite, according to BetMGM, at -2500, and one of the most unusual contenders in recent Heisman history.

The former five-star recruit has been a true two-way player for coach Deion Sanders, getting first-team reps at wide receiver and cornerback.

On the offensive side, Hunter is fifth in the country in receptions with 92, sixth in yards receiving at 1,152 and second in touchdown receptions with 14 for the No. 20 Buffaloes (9-3). Defensively, his four interceptions rank tied for 17th nationally, three behind the leader, and 15 passes defended is tied for fifth-most.

The most recent comparison to Hunter as a Heisman winner is Michigan’s Charles Woodson in 1997. The Wolverines defensive back was a part-timer on offense, catching 11 passes for 231 yards and two scores. He also ran for a touchdown and made an impact as a returner, with a memorable punt returned for a 77-yard touchdown against Ohio State.

Ward seemed to be the quarterback most likely to win the Heisman for much of the season. The Washington State transfer had No. 12 Miami in contention for a Playoff berth and ACC title all season. He has 4,123 yards passing, 36 touchdowns and seven interceptions for the No. 1 offense in the country, but the Hurricanes lost two of their final three to take some of the steam from Ward’s candidacy.

Gabriel, a 2019 Mililani High School graduate, is a two-time transfer in his sixth year at his third school (Central Florida and Oklahoma) who is approaching the FBS career record for passing yards. He has 3,558 yards passing and 28 TD passes and seven rushing touchdowns this season. He has also played his best against some of the top-ranked Ducks’ best opponents, throwing for 918 yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions in victories against Ohio State, at Michigan and vs. Penn State in the Big Ten title game.

———

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

© 2024 The New York Times Company