Coming into the offseason, redshirt freshman Alex McPherson appeared to be a lock for Auburn’s starting kicker position.
During his 2023 season, McPherson went 40-for-40 on extra points and 13-for-13 on field goals, with a season long of 53 yards.
However, after struggling with a gastrointestinal disease during the winter, McPherson’s availability for the season remains unknown.
Fortunately, McPherson appears to be moving in the right direction.
“He’s doing well,” Auburn’s special teams coordinator Tanner Burns told reporters Wednesday. “It was a slow process to get him to where he’s at now.”
After losing a large amount of weight, Burns says McPherson is starting to regain it and is currently just over 140 pounds.
Burns says McPherson has resumed kicking in practice.
“We’re really amping that up this week,” Burns added. “Health-wise and everything, he’s back to being himself.”
In McPherson’s absence, the Tigers have turned to true freshman Towns McGough, an Auburn native.
“Obviously, the plan, or the goal, was to have him sit and redshirt behind McPherson,” Burns stated about McGough. “Now, depending on how quick McPherson can come back, it may or may not be able to happen.”
After enrolling in January, McGough played in Auburn’s A-Day spring game and went 7-for-7, including the game-winning 58-yard field goal that propelled Auburn’s offense to victory.
While Burns admits McGough hasn’t been perfect throughout fall training, the rookie kicker has been effective when it mattered.
“I think he finished fall camp around the 78%, which he was 100% from 40 (yards) and in,” Mr. Burns said. “Those are the main kinds of reps you see in college football.”
With McPherson’s return date unknown, McGough might be the first player to take the field this season.
Burns isn’t worried if it happens.
“To get a guy like (McGough) as your No. 2 kicker and you feel comfortable about him being the No. 1 guy, I feel like we’ve got the two best kickers in the country,” said Burns.
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