One of the most prolific quarterbacks in the nation, a scoop-and-score artist and a do-everything kicker who tied a school record for longest field goal headline this week’s North Carolina college football player awards.
Congrats to our Week 11 (Nov. 6-8 games) winners:
- Taron Dickens (Western Carolina): Offensive Player of the Week
- Elihu Lipscomb (Wingate): Defensive Player of the Week
- Lon Teachey (Mars Hill): Special Teams Player of the Week
We tabbed Johnson C. Smith as our North Carolina College Team of the Week. Read more about the CIAA-championship bound Golden Bulls HERE.
VIEW PAST WINNERS: See all of our weekly NC college football award picks from the 2025 season
🔥 Offensive Player of the Week – Taron Dickens, Western Carolina
We’re still trying to figure out how WCU’s Taron Dickens did NOT earn Southern Conference player of the week honors. Yes, the league is loaded with deserving offensive players and yes he’s been picked before. But no one balled out more – with more on the line – this past Saturday than Dickens.
His stat line from Saturday read like something out of a video game: 551 passing yards, seven touchdown throws. Three of his TDs came in the final 14:28 with the de facto conference championship game at stake – including a 54-yarder to Malik Knight and a 42-yarder to James Tyre with 3:13 left that gave WCU a brief lead.
Maybe SoCon voters punished Dickens because he didn’t get an eighth TD on the Catamounts’ final drive? Dickens helped move the team the length of the field in the final 1:30, but a field goal that would have won the game for Western Carolina sailed right as time expired. A gut-punch of an ending.
Dickens’ season stats are also a thing of wonder. After missing WCU’s first three games he has completed 210 of 277 passes for 2,752 yards, an astonishing 33 touchdowns to just two interceptions – averaging 393.1 yards per contest. Watch out for the national awards – and the transfer portal chatter that will swirl around Cullowhee – as the season concludes.
🏅 Honorable Mention Offense
JR Martin (Mars Hill): 683 yards of team offense doesn’t happen without Martin’s dual-threat brilliance at quarterback — 334 yards passing, 122 rushing, four TDs, South Atlantic Conference Offensive Player of the Week recognition.
Traquan Johnson (Elizabeth City State): Rushed for 192 yards and five touchdowns in a rout of Bluefield State – the first college player in our state to find the end zone five times on the ground in a single game. Collected CIAA Offensive Back of the Week.
Katin Houser (East Carolina): Accounted for four touchdowns – two through the air, two on the ground – as the Pirates scored their first-ever win over Charlotte.
Walker Harris (North Carolina Central): Cementing his name in the MEAC player of the year conversation by earning yet another weekly award from the conference. Threw for 265 yards and three TDs in a win over Norfolk State, helping him reach 2,500 yards for the season.
Jaden Barnes (Appalachian State): Caught 13 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown in a Thursday night game against Georgia Southern
Davyn Reid (Livingstone): Explosive receiver hauled in touchdown receptions of 80 and 65 yards against one of the top defenses in the CIAA. Finished with 156 receiving yards and earned the league’s Receiver of the Week honor.
Bobby Smith (Johnson C. Smith): The CIAA Freshman of the Week recorded his season’s best rushing performance – 164 yards on 37 carries, with a touchdown.
Joe Owens (Fayetteville State): Named CIAA Quarterback of the Week, throwing for 195 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 39 yards, in a win over Winston-Salem State.
Cameron Turner (Greensboro): The freshman quarterback earned USA South Offensive Rookie of the Week honors after throwing for 296 yards and four TDs against North Carolina Wesleyan. Turner also rushed for 110 yards and scored what would be the game-winning TD in the final minutes.
KJ Brown (Greensboro): Hauled in five passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns in the win over North Carolina Wesleyan. Averaged 29.0 yards per catch.
🛡️ Defensive Player of the Week – Elihu Lipscomb, Wingate
Wingate has become known as a pipeline for dominant defensive players, first under head coach Joe Reich and now under his long-time defensive coordinator Rashaan Jordan. Elihu Lipscomb, a freshman from Kings Mountain, looks to be part of the next wave of stalwart stoppers.
The rookie linebacker scored two defensive touchdowns, returning a pair of fumble recoveries for a combined 103 yards, as the Bulldogs rolled to their fifth straight victory on Saturday at Tusculum.
Lipscomb’s first scoop-and-score — a 51-yard return early in the third quarter — stretched Wingate’s lead to 28-0. Just minutes later, he struck again, this time rumbling 52 yards to make it 49-0 and put the game completely out of reach. He added four tackles on the night and was part of a defense that forced five turnovers overall.
Wingate won the game 56-10. Lipscomb was named South Atlantic Conference Defensive Player of the Week.
🏅 Honorable Mention Defense
Khmori House (North Carolina): Earned a career-high 13 tackles, including 8 solo stops, in the Tar Heels’ win over Stanford. He picked off a pass and made a crucial pass breakup to thwart Stanford’s final drive. ACC Linebacker of the Week.
Melkart Abou Jaoude (North Carolina): Also had three sacks for the Tar Heels, spurring a defense that had nine for the game.
TyMir Brown (East Carolina): 45-yard pick-six added to the Pirates’ tally in the first quarter against Charlotte.
Thomas Johnson (North Carolina Central): Blocked a field goal, recorded 2.0 tackles-for-loss, tallied four quarterback hurries and finished with three total tackles in the Eagles’ triumph over Norfolk State.
Dominic Njoku (Davidson): Helped seal the Wildcats’ upset of nationally ranked Presbyterian with an interception late in the fourth quarter. Also had five tackles.
Shawn Robinson (Fayetteville State): CIAA Defensive Lineman of the Week recorded two sacks of WSSU quarterback Daylin Lee and kept pressure on the Rams offensive front all afternoon.
Marvin Pulley (Brevard): Freshman linebacker earned USA South Rookie honors with seven tackles and an interception against Methodist. His pick came on Methodist’s first offensive snap of the day and led to Brevard points a few plays later.
Joshua Iseah (North Carolina A&T): Led the state this week with 15.0 tackles – five solos, 10 assists – against Stony Brook.
🏆Special Teams Player of the Week – Lon Teachey, Mars Hill
Mars Hill kicker Lon Teachey delivered one of the top special-teams performances anywhere in North Carolina this season, scoring 16 points and tying a school record with a 52-yard field goal in the Lions’ 60-19 romp over UVA Wise.
Teachey went 3-for-3 on field goals (19, 33, 52) and 7-for-7 on PATs, breaking the previous program record of 13 kicking points set in 2008.
Teachey also dropped three punts inside the 20 — at the 13, 15 and 8 — with no returns allowed.
It was a near-perfect day from one of Division II’s most dependable legs and garnered Teachey South Atlantic Conference Special Teams Player of the Week.
🏅 Honorable Mention Special Teams
Carlos Hernandez (Wake Forest): Scored the game’s only touchdown with an 88-yard punt return in the first half against Virginia – the second longest punt return in school history. Finished with 124 return yards as the Deacs gained bowl eligibility. ACC Special Teams Player of the Week
Nick Mazzie (East Carolina): Hit two field goals, including a 50-yarder, and went 6-for-6 on PATS, helping the Pirates soar past Charlotte 48-22. American Conference Special Teams Player of the Week.
Kaleb Robinson (North Carolina Central): Hit field goals from 48, 32 and 26 yards, plus made all four PATs, in a win over Norfolk State. Accounted for 13 kicker points and earned MEAC Special Teams Player of the Week.
Shamar Sutton (Elizabeth City State): Returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to ignite what would be a 70-point day for the Vikings. Collected CIAA Special Teams Player of the Week.
Jeff Yurk (Elon): Had four punts of 50+ yards and averaged 53.0 for the game against Rhode Island. His longest boot covered 60 yards.
Javon Pray (Livingstone): Recorded one of the longest punts of the season in our state against Johnson C. Smith, covering 73 yards. Only two other North Carolina punters have boomed 70-yarders in 2025.
