Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina redshirt sophomore quarterback Taron Dickens was today listed as one of 30 national finalists for the 2025 Walter Payton Award, which is announced by Stats Perform and presented to the national offensive player of the year in Division I FCS college football.
 
Dickens is one of two from the Southern Conference to rank among the national finalists, joined by Mercer freshman QB Braden Atkinson, who was additionally listed among the Jerry Rice Award finalists for the national freshman of the year on Monday.
 
Each of the 13 FCS conferences is represented by at least one finalist, with the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) boasting five representatives and the Big Sky Conference with four. The Coastal Athletic Association (CAA), United Athletic Conference (UAC), and the Ivy League each had three finalists. The list features 16 combined quarterbacks, nine running backs, and five wide receivers.
 
The Walter Payton Award, in its 39th season and affectionately known as the Heisman of the FCS, is named for legendary running back Walter Payton, who starred at Jackson State as part of his Hall of Fame career. Past recipients include Steve McNair, Tony Romo, Brian Westbrook, Jimmy Garoppolo, Cooper Kupp, Taylor Heinicke, and Trey Lance.
 
The winner, to be selected by a national voting panel, will be announced at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Show on Jan. 3 in Nashville, Tenn.
 
Dating back to 2015, Dickens is the fifth Catamount to advance to the finalist list, joining former QB Cole Gonzales, who appeared on the list twice over the past two seasons (2023, 2024), and finished a program-best 17th in the final voting in 2023. Other Catamount offensive players among the national finalists and their finishing order in the national vote include Troy Mitchell (2015, 25th), Detrez Newsome (2017, 24th), and Tyrie Adams (2018, 19th-t).
 
Dickens compiled arguably the best season ever by a Western Carolina and Southern Conference quarterback. The Miami, Fla., product amassed 3,829 yards of total offense over 462 plays between his nine starts, averaging a NCAA-best at all levels 425.4 yards per game, one of just two QBs nationally to finish the year above the 400-yard per game mark. He was second in the nation with 271 pass completions despite the three fewer games played than the national leader and was intercepted just twice among his 365 pass attempts – one coming on an end-of-half heave to the endzone.
 
Dickens eclipsed the 300-yard passing mark seven times in his nine games, surpassing 400 yards four times with a pair of 500-yard passing efforts. He threw for a career-high – and NCAA FCS seasonal-best – 582 yards in his season debut against Samford back on Sept. 20. Dickens finished with a WCU single-season record – and NCAA FCS-leading – 3,508 passing yards on the year, averaging 389.8 yards per game to lead the nation.
 
This season, Dickens accounted for four of the Top 13 individual passing games in the NCAA FCS, including 582 yards against Samford – the second-most passing yards in a game in program and SoCon history. He also threw for 551 yards against No. 10 Mercer, 427 yards at Campbell, and 426 passing yards against ETSU.
 
Dickens accounted for 39 touchdowns on the season, including an NCAA-best and Southern Conference single-season record 38 passing scores, eclipsing the previous league benchmark of 36 held by former Samford QBs Michael Hiers (2022) and Devlin "Duck" Hodges (2016). He also broke the school record held by Gonzales (28, 2023). For reference, Hiers finished fourth nationally in the 2022 Payton Award voting, and Hodges was ninth in 2016 before winning the award in the 2018 vote.
 
Along the way, Dickens matched the program record with six passing TDs in his seasonal debut against Samford, accounting for a season-high 733 yards of total offense, the third-highest total by a Catamount offense. He later matched the SoCon's single season passing TD record with seven passing scores in the Top 25 matchup with Mercer, which entered the game as one of the nation's Top 10 defensive units.
 
A three-time Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week during 2025, Dickens was recognized by Stats Perform FCS five times, including being named an honorable mention for the national weekly Offensive Player of the Week award four times, and on Oct. 6, claiming the national award.
 
All told, mostly with Dickens at the controls minus the first three games of the regular season, Western Carolina finished its schedule third in the NCAA FCS in total offense at 493.3 yards per game and were second in total yards gained at 5,920. WCU led the NCAA FCS with 317 combined first downs, tied for the sixth most in SoCon single-season history, and finished with a SoCon and school single-season record of 44 passing touchdowns. WCU posted its fourth-straight winning season and a school-record third-straight, seven-win finish.
 
WCU boasted two of the Top 10 individual receivers, paced by James Tyre with a SoCon-best 68 receptions, including a SoCon-leading 11 receiving TDs, and Malik Knight, ninth with 47 catches, seven going for scores. Tyre was second with 832 combined yards, and Knight was fourth with 774 yards through the air. RB Markel Townsend finished tied for sixth in the SoCon with six rushing scores.
 
Through 18 career games played over parts of the last three seasons, Dickens threw for 5,063 career yards to rank 10th in WCU's record books, just one of 10 Catamount QBs to eclipse the 5,000-yard mark. His 51 career passing touchdowns – including the single-season record 38 in 2025 – rank him tied for second in program history, matching Cole Gonzales (51, 2022-24) and just one shy of moving onto the SoCon's all-time Top 10.
 
In addition to the Walter Payton Award (FCS Offensive Player of the Year), Stats Perform will hand out the Buck Buchanan Award (FCS Defensive Player of the Year), Jerry Rice Award (FCS Freshman Player of the Year), Eddie Robinson Award (FCS Coach of the Year), HBCU National Player of the Year, and Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year – for which WCU's Micah Nelson is among the 13 national finalists. Each of the awards will be presented at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Show.
 

2025 Walter Payton Award Finalists
 
Quarterbacks
Keali'I Ah Yat, Montana, R-So., 6-1, 200 (Big Sky Conference)
248 of 361 (68.7%), 3,154 yards, 25 TDs, 7 INTs, 160.5 pass efficiency; 83 rush yards, 7 TDs (12 games)
Braden Atkinson, Mercer, Fr., 6-1, 215 (Southern Conference)
250 of 367 (68.1%), 3,448 yards, 34 TDs, 7 INTs, 173.8 pass efficiency; 1 rush TD (10 games)
Andrew Body, Alabama State, R-Jr., 6-0, 205 (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
113 of 160 (70.6%), 1,770 yards, 20 TDs, 1 INT, 203.6 pass efficiency; 518 rush yards, 4 TDs (8 games)
Beau Brungard, Youngstown State, Jr., 6-0, 215 (Missouri Valley Football Conference)
254 of 368 (69.0%), 2,917 yards, 23 TDs, 3 INTs, 154.6 pass efficiency; 225 carries, 1,378 yards, 24 TDs; 50-yard TD catch (12 games)
Jaden Craig, Harvard, Sr., 6-2, 215 (Ivy League)
195 of 310 (62.9%), 2,722 yards, 24 TDs, 5 INT, 159.0 pass efficiency; 84 rush yards, 3 TDs (10 games)
Taron Dickens, Western Carolina, R-So., 5-11, 180 (Southern Conference)
271 of 365 (74.2%), 3,508 yards, 38 TDs, 2 INT, 188.2 pass efficiency; 321 rush yards, 1 TD (9 games)
Devin Farrell, Rhode Island, R-Jr., 6-0, 195 (CAA Football)
221 of 332 (66.6%), 3,087 yards, 20 TDs, 7 INTs, 160.3 pass efficiency; 60 rush yards, 2 TDs (12 games)
Victor Gabalis, Tarleton State, Sr., 6-3, 210 (United Athletic Conference)
160 of 268 (59.7%), 2,395 yards, 25 TDs, 4 INTs, 162.6 pass efficiency; 1 rush TD (10 games)
Walker Harris, North Carolina Central, R-Sr., 6-1, 195 (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)
234 of 375 (62.4%), 3,214 yards, 24 TDs, 9 INTs, 150.7 pass efficiency; 77 rush yards, 5 TDs (12 games)
Collin Hurst, Presbyterian, R-So., 5-10, 185 (Pioneer Football League) 
197 of 289 (68.2%), 2,684 yards, 26 TDs, 11 INTs, 168.3 pass efficiency; 56 rush yards, 2 TDs (12 games)
Justin Lamson, Montana State, Jr., 6-2, 210 (Big Sky Conference)
194 of 268 (72.4%), 2,345 yards, 20 TDs, 2 INTs, 169.0 pass efficiency; 589 rush yards, 11 TDs; 23 receiving yards (12 games)
Eddie Lee Marburger, UT Rio Grande Valley, R-Sr., 6-2, 215 (Southland Conference)
199 of 305 (65.2%), 2,780 yards, 31 TDs, 7 INTs, 170.8 pass efficiency; 308 yards, 4 TDs (12 games)
Chris Parson, Austin Peay, R-So., 5-11, 224 (United Athletic Conference)
206 of 326 (63.2%), 3,003 yards, 23 TDs, 5 TDs, 160.8 pass efficiency; 743 rush yards, 14 TDs (12 games)
Cole Payton, North Dakota State, Sr., 6-3, 233 (Missouri Valley Football Conference)
157 of 212 (74.1%), 2,618 yards, 15 TDs, 4 INTs, 107.4 pass efficiency; 791 rush yards, 13 TDs (12 games)
Kekoa Visperas, Tennessee Tech, R-Sr., 6-0, 193 (OVC-Big South Football Association)
212 of 323 (65.6%), 2,486 yards, 25 TDs, 5 INTs, 152.7 pass efficiency; 484 rush yards, 3 TDs (12 games)
DJ Williams, Southern Illinois, Sr., 6-3, 218 (Missouri Valley Football Conference)
222 of 352 (63.1%), 2,846 yards, 22 TDs, 5 INTs, 148.8 pass efficiency; 847 rush yards, 18 TDs (12 games)
 
Running Backs
Joshua Dye, Southern Utah, R-So., 5-11, 205 (United Athletic Conference)
295 carries, 1,831 yards (6.2 ypc), 28 TDs, 7 receptions, 40 yards; 51 KOR yards (12 games)
Kente Edwards, Lafayette, Jr., 5-9, 197 (Patriot League)
199 carries, 1,454 yards (7.3 ypc), 20 TDs, 10 receptions 67 yards (10 games)
Marquis Gillis, Delaware State, RB, Grad, 6-0, 210 (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)
182 carries, 1,166 yards (6.4 ypc), 8 TDs; 11 receptions, 98 yards, 1 TD (12 games)
Rodney Hammond Jr., Sacramento State, Sr., 5-9, 195 (Big Sky Conference)
188 carries, 1,216 yards (6.5 ypc), 13 TDs, 15 receptions, 147 yards; 1 TD pass; 455 KOR yards, 1 TD (12 games)
Elijah Howard, Central Connecticut State, Sr., 5-10, 185 (NEC Football)
188 carries, 1,078 yards (5.7 ypc), 11 TDs; 36 receptions, 296 yards, 4 TDs (11 games)
Rodney Nelson, Monmouth, R-So., 5-8, 195 (CAA Football)
293 carries, 1,802 yards (6.2 ypc), 18 TDs; 30 receptions, 229 yards, 1 TD (12 games)
L.J. Phillips Jr., South Dakota, R-So., 5-9, 225 (Missouri Valley Football Conference)
250 carries, 1,556 yards (6.2 ypc), 15 TDs; 25 receptions, 192 yards, 1 TD (12 games)
Josh Pitsenberger, Yale, Sr., 6-0, 220 (Ivy League)
255 carries, 1,238 yards (4.9 ypc), 15 TDs; 12 receptions, 87 yards (10 games)
Luke Yoder, Lehigh, Jr., 5-11, 205 (Patriot League)
187 carries, 1,329 yards (7.1 ypc), 15 TDs; 11 receptions, 96 yards, 1 TD (12 games)
 
Wide Receivers
Marquis Buchanan, Rhode Island, R-So., 6-4, 175 (CAA Football)
66 receptions, 1,123 yards (17.0 ypc), 5 TDs (12 games)
Joey Isabella, Duquesne, Grad, 5-9, 185 (NEC Football)
63 receptions, 839 yards (13.3 ypc), 13 TDs, 211 KOR return yards (12 games)
Bryce Lance, North Dakota State, R-Sr., 6-3, 209 (Missouri Valley Football Conference)
50 receptions, 1,001 yards (20.0 ypc), 7 TDs; 92 rush yards, 1 TD (12 games)
Jared Richardson, Penn, Sr., 6-2, 220 (Ivy League)
80 receptions, 1,033 yards (12.9 ypc), 12 TDs (10 games)
Michael Wortham, Montana, R-Sr., 5-9, 190 (Big Sky Conference)
58 receptions, 825 yards (14.2), 7 TDs; 46 carries, 273 yards, 6 TDs; 1 TD pass; 701 KOR yards (12 games)