Don’t be contrarian about this. Only three non-quarterbacks have won the Heisman Trophy in the past 18 years, and those ‘other’ players all played for Alabama. That’s just the way it is now. College football is all about the spread offense, which means a lot of passers getting a lot of throws and a lot of yards. Big stats = Heisman chances.

With that settled, let’s look at the top 10 Heisman candidates for 2024-25 — and why you might be foolish to bet against, or on, any one of them.

Dillon Gabriel (Oregon)

Gabriel takes the torch from former Ducks signal-caller Bo Nix, who now will be likely starting for the Denver Broncos in his rookie season. He also made the smart move to transfer to a loaded Ducks team playing its inaugural season in the Big Ten. He’ll get a ton of exposure in huge games.

Gabriel has already passed for more than 3,000 yards four times — twice at his first school UCF and twice more at Oklahoma. If Gabriel and the Ducks, who are ranked No. 3 in AP’s Preseason Top 25, can get past Big Ten beasts Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin and into the conference postseason, Gabriel could be adding a Heisman to his trophy case.

Carson Beck (Georgia)

Starting QB, No. 1-ranked team in college football. Beck immediately starts out No. 1 on the Heisman power rankings. Last season, Beck completed 72.4 percent of his passes and accounted for 26 touchdowns and led a massive Orange Bowl rout of shorthanded Florida State.

Beck probably doesn’t even need to have better stats than his Heisman candidate peers, just keep the Bulldogs undefeated and on a title trajectory and the trophy is likely his to lose.

Quinn Ewers (Texas)

Ewers came close to knocking off Washington in the CFP semifinals last winter, but the signal-caller has the advantage of helming the No. 4 team in AP’s Preseason Top 25.

But hold your horses — or your Horns — on a Heisman futures bet on Ewers. The last time a Texas player won the trophy was Ricky Williams in 1998. And, ahem, Ewers is no Ricky Williams.

Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss)

No Mississippi player has ever won the Heisman, but Dart has a fighting chance. He needs to improve on his 2023 numbers — 3,364 yards, 23-5 TD-INT, 8 rushing TDs — and steer the Bulldogs through a gauntlet that includes LSU, Oklahoma and Georgia in midseason to maintain his Heisman chances.

Jalen Milroe (Alabama)

In only his second season, coach Kalen DeBoer turned Michael Penix into a Heisman candidate and Washington into a CFP runner up. Now he takes over at Alabama with the chance to do the same with the Crimson Tide and Milroe.

Down the stretch last season, after the Tide rebounded from a shaky start, Milroe had a 10-1 TD-to-INT ratio and also ran for seven touchdowns. He led huge wins over Tennessee, LSU and Georgia.