CHICAGO, Ill. -- MSU Moorhead junior placekicker Sebastian Amorrortu has been named to the Fred Mitchell Award Kickoff Watch List ahead of the 2024 season. The annual award will recognize kickers for their excellence on the football field throughout the 2024 season and for their off-field contributions throughout the year.

Amorrortu is one of three Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) kickers to be named to the initial watch list. The Minnetonka, Minn., native is joined by Minnesota Duluth's Curtis Cox and Minnesota State's Matthew Jaeger. 

The Fred Mitchell Award will recognize kickers that were nominated by their schools or are at the top of their division for terrific performances through November 23, 2024 (regular season statistics only). The recipient of the Fred Mitchell Award will be announced in mid-December based on performance on the football field and in the community.

"The Kickoff Watch List for the 2024 Fred Mitchell Award includes exceptional kickers with exemplary community service records," Mitchell said. "I am eager to watch kickers from all the eligible non-FBS colleges prove that great kickers come from all divisions of college football. Good luck to all."

Each month, the 37-person committee, led by co-chairmen Rob Perry and Matt Cotiguala, will recognize performances by kickers leading up to the end of the season when Top 10 finalists will be announced and then the winner in early December. The winner will receive the Fred Mitchell Award trophy in February during a ceremony at the Chicago Bears training facility in Lake Forest, Ill.

The breakdown of the 61 placekickers is as follows:

• 11 returning list members
• 2 previous list members transferred to FBS programs
• Collegiate Division – 14 FCS, 17 Division II, 20 Division III, 6 NAIA, 3 NJCAA, and 1 3C2A
• Year – 6 graduate students, 22 seniors, 21 juniors, 9 sophomores, and 2 freshman

Amorrortu was used primarily as a kickoff specialist in 2023, seeing action in six games for the Dragons. He would kickoff 31 times during the season, racking up a total of 1,610 yards on his kicks. He completed the season with a 51.9 kickoff average while the Dragon special teams unit did not surrender a touchdown on a kickoff in Amorrortu's six games. 

MSUM is scheduled to begin the 2024 season at home against Wayne State College on Thursday, September 5. Kickoff from SCHEELS Field at Nemzek Stadium is slated for 6 p.m.