Cowboys Land Fred Mitchell Award Winning Kicker Gabe Panikowski
The Oklahoma State Cowboys have made it evident following the season that they were in the market for a transfer portal kicker. The Pokes have sent out a few early offers to kickers in the portal since early December and on Wednesday the Cowboys landed one of the best kickers in the nation.
On Wednesday former Idaho State kicker Gabe Panikowski announced via his social media that he had committed to the Oklahoma State Cowboys. In the FCS this season, Panikowski was the best kicker in the league.
Words can’t describe how thankful I am to be apart of the cowboy family. I’m 100% committed and can’t wait to get to work. @coachseansnyder @CoachFotehOSU @CoachGundy pic.twitter.com/0bZiACjK1U
— Gabe Panikowski (@GPanikowski) December 18, 2024
He was a perfect 15-of-15 on field goal attempts and nailed a season long from 55 yards out. He also handled the kickoff duties for the Bengals of Idaho State where he recorded 23 touchbacks out of 38 attempts.
Panikowski proved to be a reliable leg for the Bengals. Of his 15 field goal makes in 2024, three were from 40 yards out and two of those kicks were from 50 yards or more. His 55-yard field goal against Norther Arizona in October was his best game of the season. He finished the day a perfect 4-of-4 on field goals.
Congrats to Idaho State kicker Gabe Panikowski as the 2024 Fred Mitchell Award winner. The award goes to the best kicker among over 750 colleges (FCS, Div. II, Div. III, NAIA and community colleges.) Panikowski led the nation in field goal percentage. https://t.co/pU8HLaKZAg pic.twitter.com/0BAN7WaHzu
— Fred B. Mitchell (@kicker34) December 11, 2024
He was named an AP FCS All-American and won the Fred Mitchell Award, which is given to the nation’s top collegiate placekicker in the FCS. The award is presented to the nation’s top collegiate placekicker in the FCS, Division II, III, NAIA and NJCAA.
Before his time with Idaho State, Panikowski played the 2023 season at Riverside City College in California. In 2022 he played at Sacramento State. He calls San Diego, California home and attended Torrey Pines High School. Panikowski was a multi-sport athlete in high school, excelling in track, basketball, soccer, and fencing.
He becomes the Cowboys’ eighth portal acquisition this offseason and second of the day following the commitment of Saginaw Valley State transfer linebacker Brandon Rawls.
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Taylor Skieens has been an avid sports journalist with the McCurtain Gazette in Idabel, Oklahoma for seven years. He holds the title of Sports Editor for one of the oldest remaining print publications in the state of Oklahoma. Taylor grew up in the small lumber town of Wright City Oklahoma where he played baseball and basketball for the Lumberjax.