Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CMP/ATT | YDS | TD | INT | YPA | QBR | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 0-40@ Iowa | 9/14 | 96 | 0 | 1 | 6.9 | — | |
| Wk 2 | L 24-28vs Illinois State | 22/27 | 193 | 1 | 1 | 7.1 | 31.7 | Season-high 193 yds |
| Total | 31/41 | 289 | 1 | 2 | 7.0 | 31.7 |
#5
Taron Dickens
Rosters churn everywhere, but Taron Dickens keeps showing up for Northern Illinois — a fixed point in a moving depth chart.
5′11″ · 180 lb · Miami, FL
Returning to Northern Illinois for 2026
The numbers
289
passing yards · 2026
1 TD · 2 INT · 7 per attempt
2 games into 2026 so far
Swing playSwung Northern Illinois from 15% to 44% to win.Illinois State at Northern Illinois · 28-24
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 quarterback for Northern Illinois. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Western Carolina in 2023.
Taron Dickens
Filling the Shoesas of 2026-09-15
Taron Dickens is a cornerstone for Northern Illinois — measured against the line he joined.
289PASS YDS1PASS TD-19RUSH YDS
Read the story so far
AI-generated narrative · may contain errors · not journalism · updated 2026-09-15
His career
2023
- Signed with Western Carolina3-star out of Miami Northwestern
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Northern Illinois
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2026Northern Illinois0-2HC: Rob Harley · Run-leaning, slow tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the QB cohort
Box-score percentiles
Elite: completion % (92nd percentile). Concern: pass yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (8)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 144 YDS/g, 0.5 TD/g, 7.0 YPA, 1.0 INT/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Rob Harley
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Northern Illinois | 31 | 41 | 75.6% | 289 | 7.0 | 1 | 2 | 133.1 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 31 | 41 | 75.6% | 289 | 7.0 | 1 | 2 | 133.1 | -- | -- | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Northern Illinois | 11 | -35 | -3.2 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 11 | -35 | -3.2 | 0 | -- |
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 2 · Illinois State · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA -4.38(00:25) No Huddle-Shotgun #5 T.Dickens pass intercepted by #8 D.Dubose at ISU25, End Of Play
- Week 1 · Iowa · 3&17 · Q4 · EPA +3.70(00:03) Shotgun #5 T.Dickens pass complete short left to #19 K.McInerney caught at Iowa46, for 17 yards to the Iowa34 (#12 B.Weivoda), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Illinois State · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA +2.98(11:35) No Huddle-Shotgun #5 T.Dickens pass complete deep left to #0 L.Bryant caught at ISU42, for 36 yards to the ISU42, End Of Play, 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Iowa · 3&4 · Q4 · EPA -2.92(14:56) Shotgun #5 T.Dickens rush right for 2 yards gain to the Iowa36 fumbled by #5 T.Dickens at Iowa37 forced by #92 B.Stevenson recovered by Iowa #20 T.Hudkins at Iowa36, End Of Play
- Week 2 · Illinois State · 4&2 · Q2 · EPA +2.85DeAree Rogers 2 Yd pass from Taron Dickens (JJ Schlenhardt Kick)
- Week 1 · Iowa · 2&10 · Q4 · EPA +2.47(00:55) Shotgun #5 T.Dickens pass complete short left to #19 K.McInerney caught at Iowa44, for 16 yards to the Iowa44, out of bounds at Iowa44, 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Iowa · 3&8 · Q4 · EPA +2.42(01:25) Shotgun #5 T.Dickens pass complete short left to #19 K.McInerney caught at NIU33, for 22 yards to the NIU40 (#14 A.Mota), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Illinois State · 3&4 · Q4 · EPA +2.32(01:09) No Huddle-Shotgun #5 T.Dickens pass complete short right to #1 D.Rogers caught at NIU50, for 11 yards to the ISU47 (#32 W.Mueller), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Iowa · 2&10 · Q4 · EPA -2.25(00:48) Shotgun #5 T.Dickens sacked for loss of 7 yards to the NIU49 (#40 C.Chineke)
- Week 2 · Illinois State · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA -2.11(08:28) No Huddle-Shotgun #5 T.Dickens sacked for loss of 10 yards to the ISU36 (#46 T.Niekamp)
Game log
How he plays
2026 Outlook
Northern Illinois
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Quarterback · Northern Illinois
Returning around him
- 44% of 2024 offensive production back (Moderate turnover)
- Transfer portal: -15 net (7 in / 22 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Northern Illinois · Last season: 3-9 · Talent rank #126 · 2026 recruiting class #82
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology