RIO GRANDE VALLEY – Sophomore kicker Brysen Gardner of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) football team is one of just 38 kickers on the watch list for the 2025 Fred Mitchell Award, which honors the top kicker among those on the more than 750 FCS, Division II, III, NAIA and NJCAA football teams, based on performance on the football field and in the community.
 
Gardner is one of two kickers in the Southland Conference, along with East Texas A&M's Ozlo Rigby, and one of 19 in the FCS, on the list.
 
In seven games, Gardner is 8-for-10 in field goal attempts and 27-for-27 in extra point attempts. He's made three field goals of at least 40 yards, including one of 49 yards. Gardner has also kicked off 10 times for 602 yards.
 
Gardner ranks 25^th in the FCS and fourth in the Southland in field goals per game (1.14), 26^th in the FCS and fourth in the Southland in field goal percentage (80.0%), 32^nd in the FCS and second in the Southland in scoring (7.3), 110^th in the FCS and seventh in the Southland in points responsible for (51), and 110^th in the FCS and ninth in the Southland in points responsible for per game (7.3).
 
In the community, Gardner and his teammates have been active, visiting local elementary schools for fist bump Fridays the day before home games. A recent initiative saw the entire team help distribute 23,100 pounds of food to families in need during the inaugural Driscoll Give Back Day event at Robert & Janet Vackar Stadium.
 
2025 Fred Mitchell Award Watch List
Seth Adams, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater – DIII
Harry Balke, Drake University – FCS
Luke Barnes, Elon University – FCS
Iden Bone, Whitworth University – DIII
Andrew Brown, North Carolina A&T State University – FCS
Nico Cavanillas, South Carolina State University – FCS
Antonio Chadha, Western Illinois University – FCS
Connor Fournier, Minnesota State University, Mankato – DII
Brysen Gardner, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley – FCS
Lane Garner, Butte College – 3C2A
Logan Grwinski, Albion College – DIII
Ethan Hess, St. Olaf College – DIII
Levi Hilborn, Louisiana Christian University – NAIA
Samuel Hunsaker, Northern Arizona University – FCS
Marko Jovisic, Mississippi Valley State University – FCS
Dieter Kelly, College of San Mateo – 3C2A
Matt Kling, Sacred Heart University – FCS
Andrew Lastovka, Youngstown State University – FCS
Stephen Leinen, Dordt University – NAIA
Will Leyland, University of South Dakota – FCS
Matt Maldonado, Illinois State University – FCS
Brandon McCary, Minot State University – DII
Jared Navidad, Hudson Valley Community College – NJCAA
Eli Ozick, North Dakota State University – FCS
Harry Radcliffe, PennWest California (California University of Pennsylvania) – DII
Bleu Renfrow, William Jewell College – DII
Ozlo Rigby, East Texas A&M – FCS
Brody Rucker, Wabash College – DIII
Layne Ryals, Missouri University of Science and Technology – DII
Trajan Sinatra, Idaho State University – FCS
Michael Stack, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse – DIII
Brett Starling, Hampton University – FCS
Jimmy Tran, Savannah State University – DII
Samuel Tremblay, University of Maine – FCS
Ian Vachon, University of North Alabama – FCS
David Weber, Central Washington University – DII
Caden Williams, Towson University – FCS
 
The namesake for the award, Fred Mitchell, was a longtime (1974-2015) award-winning sports columnist for the Chicago Tribune and the author of 12 sports books. Mitchell set the NCAA record for career kick-scoring at Wittenberg University in 1968 among "college division" schools that are now classified as FCS, Division II, and Division III.
 
The recipient of the Fred Mitchell Award will be announced in December based on performance on the football field and in the community.
 
Receiving Top 25 Votes
 
The Vaqueros are receiving seven points in the week 7 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl after previously receiving receiving five in the week 4 poll, four in the week 6 poll, and 10 in the week 7 poll. UTRGV is 5-2, with the lone losses coming at No. 15 Lamar and No. 19 Southeastern.
 
Of the 11 athletic departments that have started an NCAA Division I football team from scratch at the NCAA DI-AA (1978-2005)/FCS (2006-Present) level since Division I college football split into two levels in 1978, UTRGV is one of four to win at least five of their first seven games, along with Kennesaw State (2015, 5-2), Georgia State (2010, 5-2), and South Alabama (2009, 7-0), the latter of which did not play any Division I competition that season.
 
UTRGV is one of four Southland Conference institutions ranked or receiving votes, along with No. 15 Lamar, No. 19 Southeastern, and No. 24 Stephen F. Austin.
 
Up Next
 
UTRGV hosts defending Southland Conference Champion Incarnate Word on Saturday at 7 p.m. for homecoming at Robert & Janet Vackar Stadium.
 
The action starts with KRGV's Vaqueros Game Day at 10 a.m. in Schlotzsky's Vaquero Village at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. Tailgating at Vackar Stadium begins at 2 p.m. The Vaqueros Walk is at 4:45 p.m. in the H-E-B Tailgate Zone followed by a pep rally in the amphitheater. Fans do not need a game ticket to access Vaqueros Game Day or the tailgating areas.
 
Gates to Vackar Stadium open at 5:30 p.m.
 
Fans can learn more about game day, including parking information, maps, and the clear bag policy, by visiting RallyTheValley.com.
 
Fans can watch online domestically on ESPN+ and internationally on Southland International.
 
Fans can listen in English locally on Ultra 90.1 FM, in Laredo on Pure Country 95.7 FM, and online via the Radio Para Mi app, and in Spanish locally on KYWW 1530 AM Puro Tejano and KGBT-FM 98.5 La Preferida and online via the Uforia app.

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