College football's most famous individual race has taken shape. With rivalry week ahead, four players have separated themselves in the Heisman Trophy conversation — and for once, the list is not all quarterbacks.

Two passers headline the group, as usual. Between them they have thrown for more than 6,000 yards, carried their teams into the playoff picture and produced the late-game drives that Heisman campaigns are built on.

The Receiver Making History

The most exciting candidacy belongs to a wide receiver whose highlight reel seems to grow every Saturday. He has scored from scrimmage, on returns and even on a trick play, and defences have started treating entire halves of the field as his personal territory.

Voters have historically been reluctant to pick receivers, but his team is winning, his numbers lead the nation and his best games have come against the toughest opponents.

A Defensive Long Shot

The fourth name is the romantic one: a defensive star whose impact does not fit in a box score. Coaches rave about him, and opposing offenses game-plan around him. No defender has won the award in decades without also playing offense, but a strong finish could make him a finalist — itself a rare honour.

What Decides It

Championship weekend usually settles the race. A huge performance in a conference title game, in front of a national audience with ballots due days later, has crowned more than one Heisman winner. All four contenders play that weekend. The stage is set.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Heisman Trophy awarded? The winner is announced at a ceremony in New York in December, shortly after the conference championship games.

Who votes for the Heisman? A panel of sports journalists, former winners and one fan vote decide the award, with ballots due in early December.