WCU’s Bryan McCollum Earns Spot on Fred Mitchell Award Midseason Watch List

By Daniel Hooker

WCU Athletics

Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina sophomore placekicker Bryan McCollum was named to the Fred Mitchell Award Midseason Watch List, joining 40 other kickers from five levels of collegiate football, the organization announced Tuesday.

Presented annually, the Fred Mitchell Award recognizes placekickers for excellence on the field while also honoring community service and civic involvement. The award honors outstanding placekickers from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Division II, Division III, NAIA, and junior college football programs.

 The midseason list includes 18 kickers from the NCAA FCS, 10 from NCAA Division II, seven from NCAA Division III, five NAIA, and one from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).

McCollum is one of 18 NCAA FCS kickers selected to the Midseason Watch List, including six representatives from the Southern Conference. He is joined by Carter Brown from Tennessee Tech, Furman’s Nathan Chapman, Jude Kelley of Chattanooga, ETSU’s Ewan Johnson, and Simon Zeidan from Mercer.

With a team-high 59 points and an average of 8.4 points per game, McCollum ranks second in the Southern Conference in scoring. The Sanford, N.C., native is 11-for-12 on field-goal attempts, leading both the SoCon and all NCAA FCS kickers with at least 10 attempts at 91.7%. He also ranks sixth nationally among all active kickers in field-goal percentage and has converted 26 of his 27 PAT attempts this season.

While the Midseason Watch List recognizes on-field excellence, community service remains a key component of the Fred Mitchell Award. At the conclusion of the regular season, the selection committee will evaluate each kicker's community and civic involvement alongside accomplishments such as field-goal accuracy, range, and performance in critical moments.

Currently on its bye week, Western Carolina (3-4, 1-2 SoCon) returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 24, hosting Chattanooga (4-3, 3-1 SoCon) in its annual Homecoming game at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field.

More than 14,500 fans attended last season's Homecoming contest, and fans are encouraged to purchase tickets and game-day parking in advance at CatamountSports.com/BuyTickets.