A quarterback has taken home 12 of the last 14 Heisman Trophies, including the last three straight.

But that streak looks like it is about to end this year.

The finalists for the 2024 Heisman Trophy were announced Monday, and there is a distinct non-quarterback feel to the race. That is because Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty seemed to have separated themselves from the field.

They aren't the only finalists, though, as they were joined by some signal-callers after all.

Heisman Trophy Finalists

• Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter
• Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty
• Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel
• Miami QB Cam Ward 

There were times this season when it seemed like different quarterbacks would make a serious run at the trophy.

And in a normal year, Oregon's Dillon Gabriel may have been the front-runner. After all, his Ducks are the only undefeated FBS team and secured the No. 1 seed in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff with Saturday's win over Penn State in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Miami's Cam Ward also impressed throughout the season while throwing for 4,123 yards, 36 touchdowns and seven interceptions, although a season-ending loss to Syracuse stood in the Hurricanes' way of reaching the CFP.

Perhaps the quarterback who made the most headlines this season was Hunter's teammate, Shedeur Sanders.

Sanders wasn't named a Heisman finalist, but he won the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year as a major reason the Buffaloes went from 4-8 during the 2023 season to 9-3 in 2024. He completed 74.2 percent of his passes for 3,926 yards, 35 touchdowns and eight interceptions and skyrocketed up NFL draft boards in the process.

Still, he, along with the rest of the country, was overshadowed by Hunter this season.

The two-way star thrived on both sides of the field as a shutdown cornerback and go-to wide receiver. His stats alone as a receiver stand out with 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns, but he was also tasked with defending the opponent's best pass-catcher on a weekly basis.

Much like Shohei Ohtani in baseball, being so effective at multiple positions made Hunter all the more valuable when compared to the rest of the country.

And the end result will likely be him taking the Heisman Trophy, as he is the overwhelming favorite to win the award. As of Monday, DraftKings lists Hunter as a -2,500 favorite (bet $2,500 to win $100), underscoring how the race has felt largely over for the past couple of weeks.

Still, Jeanty captured the attention of the nation like few running backs have since Barry Sanders set the FBS records for most rushing yards (2,628) and rushing touchdowns (37) in a single season as the 1988 Heisman Trophy winner.

The Boise State star challenged those numbers but is short with 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns on the ground going into the CFP. That effort likely would have positioned him to take home the Heisman in a number of different seasons.

But Hunter did something college football fans have rarely ever seen and is lined up to win it during Saturday's ceremony.