Auburn Daily

Auburn Tigers Key Player Returning to Form in 2025

The loss of Alex McPherson flew under the radar in 2024, but the Tigers kicking woes were a huge problem last season.

A.J. Hester

Auburn Tigers kicker Alex McPherson missed virtually all of 2024 with a life-threatening illness.
Auburn Tigers kicker Alex McPherson missed virtually all of 2024 with a life-threatening illness. / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
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The Auburn Tigers are traditionally a premier kicking program, with big names like the Brothers Carlson, Daniel and Anders (each top-5 all-time scorers in the Southeastern Conference), Wes Bynum (kicked game-winning field goal in 2010 National Championship), and John Vaughn (2006 Lou Groza Award finalist) peppering the long list of talented and successful former Tigers specialists. 

Auburn fans are used to a high level of consistency at the position, but the Tigers' kicking game fell far below the program’s high standards in 2024. Auburn was dead last in the FBS in field goal percentage in 2024 at a paltry 54.5%. It was painfully obvious as the season wore on that the lack of faith in the kicking game affected head coach Hugh Freeze’s decision making on the plus side of the 50-yard line. 

In 2023, Alex McPherson proved he was well on his way to etching his name alongside the Auburn greats. The then-redshirt freshman hit all 13 of his field goal attempts and all 40 of his extra point attempts that season. He also set a school record for 19 consecutive field goals made after he converted six out of his seven attempts the year prior. 

McPherson finished 2023 as a Lou Groza Award semifinalist, and Auburn fans were left feeling confident about the kicking situation heading into the 2024 season. 

Then, McPherson got sick. In the summer before the 2024 season, McPherson fell ill with what would ultimately be diagnosed as ulcerative colitis. He battled with extreme weight loss, dropping down to 110 pounds from 160 pounds, and missed the majority of the season. 

His lone appearance came against Kentucky, where he went 1-of-2 in the Tigers’ victory. “I ended up playing that game at probably 135 pounds,” McPherson told reporters. 

Despite Mcpherson’s absence, Auburn fans still had reason for optimism. During the 2024 A-Day Game, true freshman Townes McGough won special teams MVP after converting seven field goal attempts, including a 58-yard game-winner. 

Tiger fans thought they were getting a glimpse into the future, but McGough’s impressive spring showing didn’t translate to the field in the fall, as he only converted on 5-of-12 field goals. 

But McPherson’s return is imminent. After a surgery in December of 2024 removed his entire large intestine, the redshirt junior is back at spring practice with the Tigers, and he’s starting to feel like his old self. 

“I feel like I’m pretty much back to full strength, I’d say,” McPherson told reporters this week. “I’m probably like 90 percent right now.” 

And by all accounts, he is looking like himself. 

“Alex is back to being Alex.” Head coach Hugh Freeze said. “I don’t know if he’s missed any at all this spring.” 

All good signs for Auburn. If McPherson can return to his 2023 form, he will cement his name amongst the Auburn greats across the rest of his career. With all of the focus on the quarterback play and poor coaching decisions last year, the loss of McPherson flew under the radar. 

He’s a key player for the Auburn Tigers, and they’ll need him to get back to relevance in the SEC.

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A.J. Hester
A.J. HESTER

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