Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina football landed three players on the Phil Steele Freshman All-America team and a total of 18 student-athletes on the publication's four-team All-Southern Conference squad following the 2024 season. Redshirt freshmen Taron Dickens and Zach Watson on offense and true freshman Edwin Moore Jr. on defense each collected the Freshman All-America nod.
 
Both Dickens and Watson earned third-team plaudits while Moore Jr. was selected to the fourth team from his defensive line position. Dickens collected his second postseason national honor as he was also named to the FCS Football Central Freshman All-America squad back on Dec. 10.
 
Western Carolina also landed 18 players on the Phil Steele Postseason All-Southern Conference team, as the group selected four teams from the league schools. The Catamounts landed a combined three on the first-team All-SoCon offense, three on the second team, a total of six third-teamers, and six selected to the fourth team.
 
A finalist for the Jerry Rice Award given annually to the top freshman in the NCAA FCS where he finished 15th in the national vote, Dickens was a two-time Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week following WCU's wins over Chattanooga and the regular-season-finale at Samford. Stats Perform thrice recognized Dickens with its National Freshman of the Week honor, twice listed as an honorable mention while earning the top prize after throwing for a career-high 431 yards and five TDs in the Chattanooga victory.
 
Dickens was thrust into the starting role in November after Cole Gonzales was sidelined by injury. He started the final four games with three victories, guiding the Catamounts to a second-place finish in the SoCon – the program's best finish since 1986. He combined to play in seven games in 2024, making his first collegiate start in the home win over nationally-ranked Chattanooga.
 
The Miami, Fla., product finished 3-1 as the starter, guiding the Catamounts to wins over UTC and the program's first road victory at Samford since 1969 – and just the second over the Bulldogs all-time in program history. Dickens finished the year 127-of-172 (74%) through the air for 1,428 yards with 12 touchdown passes that included 124 completions for 1,366 yards and 11 scores after taking over the starting job. He was named to the SoCon All-Freshman team by the league's head coaches.
 
In nine career games over the past two seasons, Dickens has combined to pass for 1,555 yards with 13 touchdowns. He's added a pair of rushing scores, both coming in the mountain rivalry Blue Ridge Border Battle at ETSU in early November.


After seeing action in three games a year ago to retain his redshirt, offensive lineman Zach Watson played in all 11 of WCU's games in 2024, starting in three of the final four games of the regular season. He helped pave the way for WCU's fourth-straight 5,000-yard season of total offense as the Catamounts again eclipsed the single-season record with 5,665 yards. He joined Dickens on the SoCon All-Freshman team on offense.
 
Edwin Moore Jr. burst onto the scene early in the 2024 season for his play on both defense and special teams. He played in all 12 of the team's games, starting the first two in the absence of senior leader Jaquarius Guinn from the lineup. Moore finished with 18 total tackles including five solo stops and three for loss including half a sack. He was also credited with four quarterback hurries from his tackle position.
Moore Jr., made one of his biggest plays of the early season when he pounced on a fumble following a blocked field goal in the home opener against Campbell, scoring his first collegiate touchdown.
 
Western Carolina's 18 selections to the Phil Steele All-Southern Conference team were headlined by a trio of offensive players earning first-team plaudits. Offensive linemen Derek Simmons and Blake Whitmore were joined by quarterback Cole Gonzales who started eight of the team's 12 games before suffering a season-ending injury. Gonzales and Whitmore were both first-team All-SoCon honorees with Simmons collecting second-team plaudits from the league's head coaches.
 
A finalist for the Walter Payton Award given to the top offensive player in the NCAA FCS, Gonzales finished second in the SoCon with 2,543 passing yards despite playing in three fewer games than the league leader. He recorded the top passing game with a school-record 620 yards through the air at Furman. Gonzales was tied for third with his teammate Dickens with 12 touchdown passes, adding two rushing scores. The Ocala, Fla., product averaged 344.38 yards of total offense per game – an average that would have led the NCAA FCS.
 
WCU also had three players on the second team including tight end Jake Young and wide receiver AJ Colombo on offense and defensive back Jordy Lowery. Both Colombo and Young were dubbed first-team all-conference by the coaches in their postseason voting. Young caught 28 passes for 321 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Colombo – who was also listed as all-conference third-team punt returner and fourth-team all-purpose back – led the Catamounts with a SoCon-best 61 receptions for 590 yards and five touchdowns. He was also second with 22 punt returns and was fifth with a 7.9-yard per return average, adding a couple of kickoff returns.
 
Lowery – who was a two-time postseason All-America selection despite being left off the All-SoCon teams by the league's head coaches – led WCU and was third in the SoCon with six interceptions on the season including one returned 92 yards for a touchdown. He also scooped and scored on a blocked field goal attempt in WCU's road win over nationally-ranked Elon.
 
Six Catamounts collected third-team All-SoCon plaudits from Phil Steele including four on offense – tailback Branson Adams, wide receiver De'Andre Tamarez, and offensive linemen Jordan Daniels and Xavier Graham. Two defenders were also on the third team in rush end Micah Nelson and safety Mateo Sudipo.
 
Adams rushed for a team-best 749 yards with four TDs, adding 36 receptions for 284 yards and a score to lead the squad with 1,033 all-purpose yards. Tamarez was second among WCU's receivers with 576 yards coming on 33 catches while leading the squad with six touchdowns. Tamarez was 10th in the SoCon in receiving yards while tying with three others with his six scores. Graham played in 11 of the team's 12 games with 10 starts, while Daniels started all 12 games along the offensive front.
 
On defense, Sudipo – who was a second-team All-SoCon selection by the conference head coaches, finished fourth on the Catamount squad with 54 tackles including 28 solo stops and one for loss from his safety position. The Pompano Beach, Fla. product had three interceptions while also forcing and recovering a fumble. Nelson played in 11 of the 12 games on the season. He finished with 26 total tackles including 10 solo stops and 6.5 for loss with a pair of sacks.
 
Rounding out WCU's All-SoCon selections by Phil Steele are six on the fourth team including wide receiver Zion Booker, defensive lineman Caleb Fisher, linebackers Hayward McQueen Jr., and Antarron Turner, and specialists in placekicker Christian Lowery and punter Stephen Brantley.
 
In just eight games, Booker finished third on the Catamount squad with 540 yards on 39 catches – second-most on the squad – with four touchdown receptions. Turner and McQueen Jr. finished tied for the Catamount team lead with 61 tackles. Turner had 26 solo stops with 6.5 for loss including three sacks, while McQueen Jr. totaled 23 solo tackles with 7.5 for losses with a sack. Fisher finished with 37 tackles with seven TFLs and 2.5 sacks.
 
Two Catamount specialists also landed on the fourth team in junior transfer placekicker Christian Lowery and sophomore punter Stephen Brantley. Lowery led the Catamounts in scoring with 65 points on the season with 29 PATs and 12 made field goals (12-of-17), third in the SoCon at 70.6 percent. He also kicked off 23 times for WCU. Brantley, a second-year punter from Pilot Mountain, N.C., punted 47 times for an average of 41.9 yards per kick, fifth in the league. He had five boots of 50-plus yards including a career-long 65-yarder at ETSU. He also added a 10-yard rush on a fake punt this season for WCU.
 
Catamount Athletics is offering an early-bird ticket special, providing the most affordable season ticket pricing for the six-game home schedule in 2025. Season tickets start at just $96 for adults and $66 for youth 12 and under for all six home dates. A Catamount Family Four Pack that includes two adult reserved season tickets, and two youth reserved season tickets is just $250 – that's less than $11 per ticket. Fans can purchase season tickets online at CatamountSports.com/BuyTickets.
 
This special ticket price will be available through Friday, Jan. 17. For WCU's returning season ticket holders, the 2025 renewal deadline to secure the same seats as last year is Wednesday, April 30.
 
For Catamount Club members who had a season parking pass this past season, game day parking passes may also be renewed at this time. The cost is $60 and the deadline for renewal is Wednesday, April 30. For those looking to get a pass in the Catamount Club season parking lots for the first time or those looking to change their parking location, please contact CJ Mitchell in the Catamount Club at (828) 227-3047 or by email at mitchellc@wcu.edu. Catamount Club members are also reminded to renew their annual membership to take advantage of pregame hospitality perks by Monday, June 30, 2025.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount football and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (FB.com/CatamountSports, FB.com/WesternCarolinaFootball), Twitter (@catamounts, @CatamountsFB), and Instagram (wcu_catamounts, catamountsfb).
 
 
Phil Steele Freshman All-America Team:
Freshman All-America 3rd Team – Taron Dickens, QB
Freshman All-America 3rd Team – Zach Watson, OL
Freshman All-America 4th Team – Edwin Moore Jr., DL
 
Western Carolina on the Phil Steele All-SoCon Team:
Cole Gonzales, QB – 1st team offense
Derek Simmons, OL  – 1st team offense
Blake Whitmore, OL – 1st team offense
 
AJ Colombo, WR – 2nd team offense / 3rd team PR / 4th team all-purpose
Jordy Lowery, DB – 2nd team defense
Jake Young, TE – 2nd team offense
 
Branson Adams, RB – 3rd team offense
Jordan Daniels, OL – 3rd team offense
Xavier Graham, OL – 3rd team offense
De'Andre Tamarez, WR – 3rd team offense
Micah Nelson, DL – 3rd team defense
Mateo Sudipo, DB – 3rd team defense
 
Zion Booker, WR – 4th team offense
Caleb Fisher, DL – 4th team defense
Hayward McQueen Jr, LB – 4th team defense
Antarron Turner, LB – 4th team defense
Stephen Brantley, P – 4th team special teams
Christian Lowery, PK – 4th team special teams