I Told Brysen Gardner I Thought He Was an All-American Caliber Kicker. Now He’s on a National Watch List

Photo of the moment DITV told Brysen that he should be a preseason All American. What a moment! Sams Stadium in Brownsville August 7th, captured by my daughter

UTRGV’s junior kicker enters 2026 with national recognition already following him.

Before UTRGV’s open practice started, Brysen Gardner was walking in when I stopped him and told him what I thought.

I told him I believed he was an All-American caliber kicker.

That was my evaluation before the season started.

A few days later, Gardner was named to the 2026 Fred Mitchell Award Preseason Watch List, placing him among 40 kickers nationally from the FCS, Division II, Division III, NAIA and NJCAA.

The recognition was not unexpected.

Gardner was already a Fred Mitchell Award semifinalist in 2025 after leading the Southland Conference in field goals per game and scoring among kickers while also earning Phil Steele All-Southland honors.

So this preseason watch-list spot is not just another name on another list. It is more evidence that Gardner enters 2026 firmly in the national conversation at his position.

The Fred Mitchell Award evaluates kickers based on accuracy, distance, clutch performance and community service throughout the season.

For UTRGV, though, the bigger question is what Gardner can mean when games get tight.

Most of the preseason conversation around the Vaqueros has centered on returning talent, depth and expectations on offense and defense. Gardner’s recognition is a reminder that UTRGV could have a difference-maker on special teams, too.

A field goal before halftime. A late kick in a one-possession game. An extra point when every possession matters.

Those moments rarely get the attention of a touchdown or turnover, but they can decide games.

The watch list does not make Gardner an All-American.

But it does give a little more national context to what DITV already believed entering the season.

DITV Final Take

Gardner was already on our radar before this watch list came out. Now the national recognition is catching up.

If he delivers the kind of season UTRGV believes he can, this may not be the last national list his name appears on in 2026.