2025 Fred Mitchell Award Semifinalists

GOLDEN, Colo. - Colorado School of Mines kicker Preston Kyle is one of 41 semifinalists for the Fred Mitchell Award, annually given to the nation's best non-FBS kicker.

Established in 2009, the award shortlisted eight kickers from NCAA Division II, 23 from FCS, six from Division III, one from the NAIA, and three from the junior college ranks. Ten finalists will be named in December.

Kyle, a redshirt freshman, was the Second-Team All-RMAC placekicker after going 17-of-23 on field goals and a perfect 44-of-44 on PATs in 2025. Kyle led the RMAC in made field goals and led all conference kickers in scoring (95 points). His long field goal of the season was 56 yards, the longest for an Oredigger since 1997. Nationally, he was tied for second in NCAA Division II in made field goals through the end of the regular season and ranked third nationally among kickers in scoring. 

The namesake for the award, Fred Mitchell, was a longtime award-winning sports columnist for the Chicago Tribune and the author of a dozen 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.