Cullowhee, N.C. – Thrust into the starting role late in the season after an injury to one of the Southern Conference's top offensive performers in quarterback Cole Gonzales, redshirt freshman signal-caller Taron Dickens was today among the 25 finalists listed for the 2024 Jerry Rice Award, announced by Stats Perform FCS. Dickens was selected to the 2024 Southern Conference All-Freshman team on offense by the league's head coaches at the end of the regular season.
 
Dickens is one of three rookies in the Southern Conference among the national finalists for the Freshman of the Year honor, joined by Wofford safety CJ Coombes and defensive end Andrew Zock from Mercer.
 
Dickens is the sixth Catamount freshman to land among the finalists for the Jerry Rice Award dating back to 2014 (complete list below). Two have finished among the Top 10 in the national vote including running back Desmond Reid who finished sixth in 2022 and quarterback Tyrie Adams with a program-best fourth-place finish in 2016.
 
After seeing action in two games in 2023 as a true freshman, Dickens saw minimal action in three games at the start of 2024 as the backup to Gonzales. Between the three road games at NC State, Furman, and Mercer, the Miami, Fla., native was 3-for-7 passing for 62 yards and a touchdown. His appearance in Macon was just a precursor for the remainder of the year.
 
Dickens made his first collegiate start at home against the nationally-ranked Chattanooga Mocs on Nov. 2, where he had a career performance in guiding the Catamounts to the upset win. He completed 34-of-48 passes for a career-best 431 yards and a career-high five touchdown passes. Since, Dickens has thrown for 200-plus yards in each of his four starts, twice eclipsing the 400-yard plateau.
 
On the year, Dickens is 127-of-172 for 1,428 yards with 12 touchdown passes against three interceptions. Since taking over as the starting quarterback, the SoCon Freshman of the Year candidate has completed 124-of-165 attempts (75.2%) for 1,366 yards and 11 touchdowns. Gonzales, the preseason SoCon Offensive Player of the Year, was averaging 317.9 yards per game with 12 TD passes before his injury. In his four starts, Dickens averaged 341.5 passing yards per game, matching with 11 touchdowns. He also rushed for a pair of scores at nationally-ranked ETSU and has a pair of receptions – both coming on completions to himself on deflected passes.
 
Dickens has been recognized by Stats Perform FCS among the national weekly awards winners three times, twice garnering honorable mention plaudits for the top freshman award and was dubbed the nation's top freshman after the Chattanooga win. He is also a two-time Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week recipient this fall.
 
True and redshirt freshmen are eligible for the Jerry Rice Award. A player must be considered a freshman by his conference in his first academic year or second if he did not surpass four regular-season games played in the true freshman season (the NCAA redshirt rule).
 
Now in its 14th season, the Jerry Rice Award is named after the legendary Hall of Fame wide receiver who played on the NCAA FCS level at Mississippi Valley State before his storied professional career in the NFL. Past recipients of the annual top-rookie award include Cooper Kupp (Eastern Washington), Chase Edmonds (Fordham), Trey Lance (North Dakota State), Cam Ward (UIW), and Shedeur Sanders (Jackson State).
 
The Jerry Rice Award recipient is selected by a national voting panel and announced on Dec. 4 and honored at the Stats Perform National Awards Banquet on Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas. Other awards at the banquet are the Walter Payton Award (FCS Offensive Player of the Year), the Buck Buchanan Award (FCS Defensive Player of the Year), the Eddie Robinson Award (FCS Coach of the Year), Urban Edge Network HBCU+ Player of the Year, and FedEx Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
 
2024 Jerry Rice Award Finalists
 
Offense
David Avit, Villanova, RB, 6-0, 220 (CAA Football)
146 carries, 793 yards (5.4 ypc), 9 TDs; 9 receptions, 100 yards (12 games)
CharMar Brown, North Dakota State, RB, 5-11, 224 (Missouri Valley Football Conference)
189 carries, 965 yards (5.1 ypc), 14 TDs; 5 receptions, 54 yards (12 games)
Matt Childs, Brown, RB, 6-0, 200 (Ivy League)
91 carries, 361 yards (4.0 ypc), 2 TDs; 29 receptions, 384 yards, 2 TDs (9 games)
Jason Collins Jr., Morgan State, RB, 5-9, 185 (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)
102 carries, 520 yards (5.1 ypc), 6 TDs; 10 receptions, 54 yards (11 games)
Carson Conklin, Sacramento State, QB, 6-1, 180 (Big Sky Conference)
261 of 419 (62.9%), 2,876 yards, 28 TDs, 8 INTs (12 games)
Taron Dickens, Western Carolina, QB, 5-11, 180 (Southern Conference)
127 of 172 (73.8%), 1,428 yards, 12 TDs, 3 INTs; 56 rush yards, 2 TDs (7 games)
Jaden Green, Lehigh, RB, 5-9, 195 (Patriot League)
118 carries, 693 yards (5.9 ypc), 9 TDs; 9 receptions, 65 yards; 535 KOR yards (11 games)
Steve Hall, Lindenwood, RB, 5-9, 195 (Big South-OVC Football Association)
111 carries, 808 yards (7.3 ypc), 5 TDs; 14 receptions, 83 yards (12 games)
Mark Hamper, Idaho, WR, 6-2, 210 (Big Sky Conference)
41 receptions, 858 yards (20.9 ypc), 5 TDs (12 games)
Malachi Henry, Central Arkansas, WR, 6-1, 185 (United Athletic Conference)
41 receptions, 683 yards (16.7 ypc), 5 TDs (12 games)
Collin Hurst, Presbyterian, QB, 5-10, 165 (Pioneer Football League)
187 of 281 (66.5%), 2,382 yards, 17 TDs, 4 INTs; 175 rush yards, 5 TDs (12 games)
Adam Jones, Montana State, RB, 6-1, 200 (Big Sky Conference)
123 carries, 904 yards (7.3 ypc), 9 TDs; 16 receptions, 150 yards, TD (11 games) 
Elijah Owens, Indiana State, QB, 6-2, 225 (Missouri Valley Football Conference)
181 of 263 (68.8%), 1,717 yards, 12 TDs, 5 INTs; 645 rush yards, 8 TDs (11 games)
Travis Terrell Jr., Jackson State, RB/Returns, 5-8, 165 (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
64 carries, 412 (6.4 ypc), 3 TDs; 13 receptions, 79 yards; 792 return yards, 2 TDs (11 games)
Tariq Thomas, Bucknell, RB, 5-11, 185 (Patriot League)
166 carries, 783 yards (4.7 ypc), 4 TDs; 13 receptions, 71 yards; 133 KOR yards (11 games)
Drew VanVleet, Dayton, QB, 6-5, 205 (Pioneer Football League)
195 of 312 (62.5%), 1,963 yards, 18 TDs, 10 INTs (11 games)
 
Defense
Josh Anglin, North Alabama, LB, 6-0, 215 (United Athletic Conference)
81 tackles (29 solos), 7 TFL (22 yards), 1.5 sacks (11 yards), 1 FF, 2 QBH, 1 PBU (12 games)
Charles Battaglia, Stonehill, LB, 6-1, 225 (Northeast Conference)
70 tackles (31 solos), 3 TFL (8 yards), 1 FF, 1 INT, 1 PBU (11 games)
C.J. Coombes, Wofford, S, 6-0, 208 (Southern Conference)
88 tackles (59 solos), 5 TFL (23 yards), 1 sack (12 yards), 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 INT, 2 PBU (12 games)
Sanders Ellis, Tennessee State, LB, 6-2, 225 (Big South-OVC Football Association)
71 tackles (49 solos), 11 TFL (50 yards), 1.5 sacks (21 yards), 1 FR, 1 QBH, 2 PBU (12 games)
Derek Ganter Jr., Eastern Washington, S, 6-0, 188 (Big Sky Conference)
95 tackles (55 solos), 3.5 TFL (15 yards), 1 sack (8 yards), 1 FF, 1 QBH, 4 PBU (12 games)
Christopher Jean, Central Connecticut State, CB, 5-9, 170 (Northeast Conference)
30 tackles (19 solos), 2.5 TFL (6 yards), 2 FF, 4 FR, 3 INTs, 7 PBU (9 games)
Matthew Traynor, Richmond, LB, 6-1, 200 (CAA Football)
64 tackles (48 solos), 4.5 TFL (8 yards), 2 INTs, 3 PBU (12 games)
Andrew Zock, Mercer, DE, 6-2, 250 (Southern Conference)
32 tackles (18 solos), 13.5 TFL (74 yards), 6.5 sacks (56 yards), 2 FF, 15 QBH, 2 PBU (12 games)
 
Special Teams
Finn Lappin, McNeese, P, 5-11, 178 (Southland Conference)
68 punts, 2,811 yards (41.3 avg.), 68 long, 21 fair catch, 19 I20, 21 50+ (12 games)
 
WCU on the Stats Perform FCS Jerry Rice Award
2014 – Daniel Riddle, LB – 22nd
2015 – Ian Berryman, P – 19th
2016 – Tyrie Adams, QB – 4th
2018 – Ronald Kent Jr., DB
2021 – Andreas Keaton, DB – 17th-t
2022 – Desmond Reid, RB – 6th
2024 – Taron Dickens, QB