Relive Oregon State Quarterback Braden Atkinson's Award-Winning 2025 Season

In January, Mercer sophomore quarterback Braden Atkinson transferred to Oregon State. Earlier this week, Atkinson beat out 2025 starter Maalik Murphy and fellow transfer Brady Jones for the top spot on the Beavers' depth chart.

Much has been written about Atkinson's impressive fall camp, but his ascendancy arguably began last fall at the FCS level. This piece spotlights five specific highs and lows during an award-winning 2025 season for Oregon State's new field general.

Atkinson Breaks Through Against Wofford

Mercer's 2025 dance through the FCS ranks did not begin on the right foot. Neither UC Davis nor Mercer won their season opener in late August: instead, intermittent lightning strikes mixed with heavy rains resulted in the game being called off before the fourth quarter finished.

A week later, unranked Presbyterian College upset the Bears, while holding their passing attack to just 154 total yards and a pedestrian 4.3 yards per attempt.

In response, the Mercer staff called up Atkinson, their three-star true freshman signing from North Carolina. The first drive of his first game - a start against Wofford - offered a good omen. The Bears marched 73 yards down the field in 12 plays, with their new signal caller completing all six of his attempts. When the game ended, Mercer earned their first win of the season 22-21, while their gunslinger Atkinson threw for over 300 yards and a touchdown. The best was still yet to come.

Award-Winning Performance Against The Citadel

In a 38-0 rout of The Citadel, a program which has fought bitterly against FBS schools in seasons past, Atkinson secured a stranglehold on Mercer's starting quarterback job.

His first score came on a perfectly executed run-pass option. as the true freshman lured a deep safety towards the line of scrimmage with a ball fake, then fired a missile down the sideline. In the second quarter, Atkinson struck paydirt again, hitting a seam route through traffic for another score. When the final whistle blew, Mercer's new leader under center earned his second consecutive 300+ yard passing game, while tallying 4 touchdowns and no interceptions.

Two days later, Mercer named him their male Student Athlete of the Week and national outlet StatsPerform tabbed him their FCS National Freshman of the Week.

"Athlete of the Week" Honors After Beating Samford

Two weeks later, Atkinson's Bears won their fourth consecutive game, as their offense eclipsed 550 yards in an impressive display.

The freshman did his part, contributing 365 passing yards, while achieving a school-record 5 touchdown passes. Once again, Mercer rewarded him with a special honor: their male Student Athlete of the Week award. Thanks to his consistent contributions under center, the young gunslinger would eventually be named 2025's winner of the Jerry Rice Award, presented annually to the top freshman at the FCS level.

Auburn Teaches Atkinson a Lesson

Deep into November, Mercer looked poised for the FCS playoffs, and Atkinson kept the sky-high trajectory that would soon see him win the Jerry Rice Award.

Soon, he and his FCS national championship contenders would face their stiffest competition yet: SEC mainstays Auburn. In a 62-17 thrashing, the FBS power-conference foes dominated all phases of the game.

Against the toughest defense he would see all season, Atkinson struggled: Auburn defensive backs blanketed his receivers, while the Tigers' defensive line ferociously pressured the freshman on every snap. When the clock struck zeroes, Atkinson notched a meager 210 passing yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions.

Despite the loss, his arm talent flashed. Trailing 7-0 with 13:37 in the opening quarter, Atkinson connected deep down the sideline with wide receiver Braden Smith. Tied 7-7 with 2:59 in the same period, he spotted wideout Adjatay Dabbs, and lobbed a prayer past contested coverage for a lead-seizing touchdown.

South Dakota Delivers a Brutal Blow

In early December, Mercer played just their fifth all-time FCS playoff game, with Atkinson leading the way. Unfortunately, he and his Bears' teammates underwhelmed. At the final whistle, 11-seed South Dakota stunned the higher-seeded hosts with a 47-0 shutout.

The loss featured Atkinson's greatest struggles of the season: just 148 yards across 18 completions, four interceptions, and no touchdowns. Like Auburn less than a month prior, the Coyotes managed to cover Mercer's speedy pass catchers, and their defensive line beat back Atkinson's pass-protectors in the trenches. The result was a mix of scrambles, hurried & mistimed throws, incompletions, and turnovers.

Like the Auburn game, the beatdown was not total. On several occasions, Atkinson spotted open receivers for potential touchdowns, aiming perfectly placed spirals. Each time, South Dakota's defense denied them.

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