MANKATO, Minn. – Minnesota State junior place kicker Connor Fournier has been named to the 2026 Fred Mitchell Award Watch List, highlighting the Mavericks standout among the nation's top kickers at the FCS, Division II, Division III, NAIA and NJCAA levels.
Fournier, a Maple Grove, Minnesota, native, is one of 39 student-athletes selected to the initial 2026 watch list and one of 11 Division II kickers recognized.
The honor comes after a strong 2025 season in which Fournier was a Fred Mitchell Award semifinalist and earned Don Hansen Second Team All-America honors. He played in all 14 games for Minnesota State, converting 16 of 20 field-goal attempts, including a career-long 51-yarder against Concordia-St. Paul.
Fournier also earned D2CCA All-Super Region Second Team honors and was named to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) First Team. He was selected as the NSIC Special Teams Player of the Week three times during the season.
The other Division II kickers named to the watch list are Elijah Guyton of West Alabama, Preston Kyle of Colorado School of Mines, Brandon McCary of Emporia State, Brady Myers of Virginia Union, Jared Navidad of UNC Pembroke, Ty Quintois of East Stroudsburg, Harry Radcliffe of California (Pa.), Layne Ryals of Missouri S&T, Austin Schmitt of Pittsburg State and Jackson Smith of Colorado State-Pueblo.
Now in its 18th year, the Fred Mitchell Award recognizes place kickers based on their performance on the field as well as leadership, community service and commitment to their communities. Throughout the season, the selection committee will evaluate kickers on field-goal accuracy, distance, clutch performances and continued community involvement.
The award will also recognize weekly Kicker of the Week performances during the 2026 season before announcing its midseason watch list, semifinalists, finalists and eventual award recipient following the regular season.
Fournier and the Mavericks will begin their 2026 campaign Thursday, Aug. 27, at 7 p.m. CT against Colorado Mesa. Minnesota State was picked to finish first in the NSIC preseason coaches' poll.
The following week, MSU plays at University of Mary to open NSIC play, before returning home for its 2026 home-opener scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 12, at 6 p.m. against rival Bemidji State at Blakeslee Stadium.
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