Quarterback, Northern Illinois (from Western Carolina), 2023–⁠26

Taron Dickens

Number
No. 5
Height
5′11″
Weight
180 lb
Class (2026)
Junior
Hometown
Miami, FL

Taron Dickens plays quarterback for Northern Illinois, after Western Carolina (2023–⁠25). Last time out, at Wyoming: 24 of 44, 216 yards, 1 TD; 8 carries, 11 yards. Dickens leads Northern Illinois in passing touchdowns and passing yards this season.

2026 so far

1,193 passing yards, 4 TD

Last game: 24 of 44, 216 yards, 1 TD; 8 carries, 11 yards at Wyoming, L 23–⁠41

Next game: vs. Hawai’i, Oct 24

Game by game this season, passing yards
  1. 96@IOWA
  2. 193ILST
  3. 228@ARIZ
  4. 320@GAST
  5. 140AF
  6. 216@WYO

Filled bars: wins; outlined: losses.

Career highs

582passing yards, career highvs. Samford, 20257touchdown passes, career highvs. Mercer, 20252rushing touchdowns, career highat East Tennessee State, 2024

Passing

Passing yards, season by season, with his team’s record

* The season in progress, so far.

SeasonTeamCmpAttPctYdsY/ATDInt
2023Western Carolina4666.712721.210
2024Western Carolina12717273.81,4288.3123
2025Western Carolina27136574.23,5089.6382
2026Northern Illinois12118465.81,1936.543
Career52372771.96,2568.6558

Rushing

SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2023Western Carolina6−6−1.006
2024Western Carolina58561.0219
2025Western Carolina973213.3128
2026Northern Illinois42−8−0.2012
Career2033631.8328

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2023Western Carolina5QBYr 1
2024Western Carolina5QBYr 2
2025Western Carolina5QBYr 3
2026Northern Illinois5QBJr. (Yr 4)5′11″180

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsageAdj. pass
2025Western Carolina (FCS)3770.5799th (n=314)0.24213.863%–
2026Northern Illinois2230.019th (n=273)0.213.158%0.15

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). Adjusted pass and rush: EPA per play adjusted for the defenses faced (CollegeFootballData’s WEPA). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Passing detail

SeasonTeamSuccessDepthAfter catchDeep throwsDeep completed
2026Northern Illinois42%8.9 yds4.8 yds25 of 17812%

Success: passes that kept the offense on schedule. Depth: how far downfield his passes traveled in the air, on average. After catch: yards his receivers gained after the catch, per completion. Deep throws: the play-by-play gives depth and direction for about half of a passer’s throws; this is how many of those went deep, and how many of the deep ones were caught. From CollegeFootballData, FBS games, 2025 on.

Rushing detail

SeasonTeamSuccessLine yardsSecond levelOpen fieldStuffed
2026Northern Illinois50%3.801.500.4014%

Where his yards came from, per carry: line yards are the ones credited to the blockers (the first few, and losses), second level the yards 5 to 10 past the line, open field those beyond 10. Success: carries that kept the offense on schedule. Stuffed: carries stopped at or behind the line. From CollegeFootballData, FBS games, 2025 on.

Game by game

2026 Northern Illinois 6 games, 1,193 passing yards, 4 TD
DateOpponentResultCmpAttYdsTDIntRush
Sep 5atIowaL 0–⁠409149601−19
Sep 12vs.Illinois StateL 24–⁠28222719311−16
Sep 19atArizonaL 17–⁠422537228109
Sep 26atGeorgia StateL 14–⁠35284232010−26
Oct 10vs.Air ForceL 7–⁠2813201400133
Oct 17atWyomingL 23–⁠4124442161011
2025 Western Carolina 9 games, 3,508 passing yards, 38 TD
DateOpponentResultCmpAttYdsTDIntRush
Sep 20vs.SamfordW 50–⁠3535465826042
Sep 27atCampbellW 42–⁠3526404274035
Oct 4atWoffordW 23–⁠2153563783044
Oct 11vs.FurmanW 52–⁠717242204048
Oct 18atThe CitadelW 45–⁠3828333695125
Nov 1atChattanoogaW 35–⁠2818292254038
Nov 8vs.MercerL 47–⁠493349551719
Nov 15vs.East Tennessee StateL 35–⁠5233484262048
Nov 22atVMIW 48–⁠628403303032
2024 Western Carolina 7 games, 1,428 passing yards, 12 TD
DateOpponentResultCmpAttYdsTDIntRush
Aug 29atNC StateL 21–⁠3825300016
Oct 19atFurmanW 52–⁠20113210–
Oct 26atMercerL 34–⁠440100028
Nov 2vs.ChattanoogaW 38–⁠3434484315141
Nov 9atEast Tennessee StateL 21–⁠24243423311−18
Nov 16vs.VMIW 58–⁠2830372942015
Nov 23atSamfordW 47–⁠42364640831−26
2023 Western Carolina 2 games, 127 passing yards, 1 TD
DateOpponentResultCmpAttYdsTDIntRush
Sep 23vs.Charleston SouthernW 77–⁠21349110−6
Nov 11vs.East Tennessee StateW 58–⁠7123600–

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

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