Two SoCon Players Named finalist for Walter Payton Award

Mercer's Atkinson Among 30 Finalists For Walter Payton Award

Atkinson, a native of Rolesville, N.C., and a product of Rolesville High School, has completed 68.1 percent (250-for-367) of his pass attempts this season and has already broken school single-season records for passing completions (250), attempts (367), yards (3,448) and touchdowns (34). He has thrown for 300 or more yards in eight of his 10 starts this season, including a school record 533 yards amid Mercer's 62-0 home win over VMI on October 25.
 
He has also, thrice, matched the program's single-game superlative for passing touchdowns with five scoring tosses against Samford, VMI and Chattanooga.
 
Atkinson currently ranks second among all FCS signal callers in passing yards, passing yards per game (344.8), passing touchdowns and completions per game (25.00), while ranking third, nationally, in points responsible for per game (21.0), total offense per game (345.8) and yards per pass attempt (9.40).

Western Carolina's Taron Dickens Named a Finalist for the 2025 Walter Payton Award

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. Among his completions on the season were 50 straight between the end of the Campbell game and 46-consecutive to open the Wofford road win, both NCAA records.
 
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.