Cullowhee, N.C. – Splitting time in the Catamount backfield this season at the quarterback position, both junior Cole Gonzales and redshirt freshman Taron Dickens were listed as finalists for a pair of national FCS awards handed out by Stats Perform. Gonzales was among 35 players considered for the Walter Payton Award given to the top offensive player in the NCAA Division I FCS. Dickens was among 25 on the ballot for the 14th annual Jerry Rice Award presented to the FCS Freshman of the Year.
 
The results of the national committee vote, minus the finishing order of the final three for the Walter Payton and Buck Buchanan (FCS Defensive Player of the Year) Awards, were released this week ahead of the second round of the NCAA FCS playoffs. Even with playing in just eight of the team's games on the season after being sidelined by injury, Gonzales finished in a three-way tie for 24th in the national vote, while Dickens – who went 3-1 as the starter over the final four games – finished 15th in freshman vote.
 
Each of the three finalists for both of the aforementioned awards, as well as the Buchanan, Eddie Robinson (FCS Coach of the Year), Urban Edge Network HBCU+ National Player of the Year, and FedEx Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year, are invited to the awards presentation at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet on Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas.
 
The first-team All-Southern Conference selection at quarterback, Gonzales completed a career-best 205 passes – eighth in WCU's single-season record books – before his injury. His 2,543 passing yards likewise ranked him eighth on the seasonal ledgers and were the second-most yards in the SoCon regular season despite having three fewer games played than the league leader. The Ocala, Fla., product led the NCAA with an average of 317.9 passing yards per game as part of 2,755 yards of total offense, averaging 344.38 per outing, a mark that would lead the NCAA FCS. Gonzales matched Dickens and three others for 20th in WCU's single-season history with a dozen touchdown passes.
 
Third in program history with 511 career completions, 6,682 passing yards, and 7,233 yards of total offense, Gonzales was on the national year-end ballot for the top offensive player for a second-straight season after finishing a program-best 17th in 2023. He also sits second to Tyrie Adams (64, 2016-19) with 51 career passing touchdowns.
 
Gonzales was both the SoCon and Stats Perform FCS National Offensive Player of the Week following his school and league-record 620-yard, five-passing TD effort against chromatic rival Furman.
 
Dickens combined to play in seven games in 2024, though four came as the starting QB over the season's final four games. The Miami, Fla., product finished 3-1 as the starter, guiding the Catamounts to a win over nationally-ranked Chattanooga and to the program's first road victory at Samford since 1969 – just the second all-time in program history. Dickens finished the year 127-of-172 (74%) 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.
 
In nine career games over the past two seasons, Dickens has four starts and 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.
 
The sixth Catamount rookie to grace the finalist ballot for the Jerry Rice Award, Dickens is WCU's third top rookie over the past four seasons along with DB Andreas Keaton (t-17th, 2021) and Rb Desmond Reid (6th, 2022). 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 UTC victory.
 
Coming off of its third-consecutive winning season – the longest string since three-straight from 1992 through 1994 – Western Carolina turns its attention to the 2025 season by first finishing the 2024 fall semester strong in the classroom. Winter workouts through the end of this year ramp up in January with the team anticipating its 15-day annual spring drills in late March and early April with the official date of the Spring Game to be announced.
 
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WCU on the Stats Perform FCS Walter Payton Award:
2015 – Troy Mitchell, QB – 25th
2017 – Detrez Newsome, RB – 24th
2018 – Tyrie Adams, QB – 19th-t
2023 – Cole Gonzales, QB – 17th
2024 – Cole Gonzales, QB – 24th-t
 
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 – 15th