On Sunday night, quarterback Taron Dickens broke the Southern Conference’s record, taking Western Carolina to new heights. The Catamounts were still celebrating their QB’s latest feat, which led to a dominant 48-6 win over VMI. However, the next day, Dickens announced his plans for the future.

After throwing three touchdowns and a score, Taron Dickens led his program to its seventh win so far, throwing for 3,508 yards and 38 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Add to it his 321 rushing yards and one TD. With that, he is planning to enter the transfer portal, according to Pete Nakos’ report.

The portal window will open on January 2 and will remain open for the next 15 days.

In the 2025 season, Taron Dickens was named the First-team All-Southern Conference at quarterback, along with racking up the SoCon preseason offensive player of the Year honor. With the regular season wrapped up, many players may be looking for a new program.

FCS analyst at Skyline Sports, Samuel Akem, shared that the competition in the transfer portal has ramped up. “Woah…. Yes it’s Selection Sunday, but the season just ended for A LOT of players today. The portal is about to get very hot!”

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But does it come off as a surprise? Back in September, Mike Farrell Sports’ Mark Pszonak had praised Dickens’ explosiveness, mulling over his plans for the portal. “If he does continue to be as dynamic as he has been through two games, the next question will be his transfer potential,” Pszonak wrote.

He picked Pat Narduzzi’s Pittsburgh, proving a threat to Western Carolina. There’s a reason that should concern the Catamounts. Former offensive coordinator Kade Bell headed to Pittsburgh in the same capacity, with multiple players following him there, including top RB Desmond Reid.

“Considering Bell’s ties to Western Carolina, which includes his father, Kerwin Bell, who has been the head coach of the Catamounts since 2021, nobody knows more about Dickens than the Panthers,” Pszonak added.

To the Catamounts, Taron remains a prized asset, having shattered two records in two months. On Saturday, he threw a 16-yard pass, connecting with wide receiver Michael Rossin, who rushed for another yard and a touchdown! 24-3, setting a new record for the Southern Conference’s single-season passing touchdown record. In the fourth quarter, he upped his TD record tally to another 3-yard run into the endzone.

Western Carolina won 48-6, and Taron Dickens was the star of the night.

Another record-breaking moment occurred in October 2025, when the Catamounts faced off against the Wofford Terriers. Dickens went 46/46 in pass attempts, breaking FCS’s record for the most consecutive pass completions in a game. Prior to that, Princeton’s Quinn Epperly had held that record for 29 completions.

For his celebrated performance, he is now a Walter Payton Award contender. (FCS). With his transfer portal plans, Western Carolina might be on a high alert, possibly looking for its new QB1 in sophomore Bennett Judy and Issac Lee.

No further details regarding his transfer portal plans have been revealed. Although it might come off as a surprise, Western Carolina’s star quarterback, Taron Dickens, was pursued by Matt Rhule’s Nebraska Cornhuskers during his high school recruiting.

Matt Rhule’s pursuit of the former three-star recruit

Taron Dickens’ high school football career remains as celebrated. At the Northwestern High campus, his eye-popping stats drove Lincoln’s interest to Miami. Within his first two years as a starting QB, he capped off impressive numbers, throwing for a whopping 5,976 yards and 64 touchdowns.

Racking off impressive figures, he was named the Florida 6A Player of the Year honor as the top-rated passer in Florida. With a stacked resume, he received an offer from Nebraska, with On3’s recruiting machine, stating a 16.1% for him to land at Lincoln.

Among the other programs, Akron, Jackson State, and Coastal Carolina, among others, offered him scholarships. Eventually, he gave his pledge to Western Carolina and has earned himself considerable name in the FCS circuit.