Auburn Kicker Alex McPherson Provides Positive Update on Health After 2025 Scare

There have been few players who have fit the description of ‘a true Auburn man’ quite like Alex McPherson, who has been the kicker for the Auburn Tigers since 2022. What makes him so special?

After just one showing in the 2024 season,McPherson was sidelined with a severe case of ulcerative colitis, a disease that should have kept him off the field indefinitely, and yet, he is ready and rearing to go ahead of the 2026 season.

A big question surrounding the Tigers’ kicker has been his range, as despite his impressive comeback in 2025, McPherson still has not looked like himself in terms of range–and you can hardly blame him. However, McPherson was one of the Tigers’ three representatives at SEC Media Days, and he gave the press some news that should inspire confidence in the Auburn faithful.

“I’m pulling back to full strength,” he said. “I was actually kicking yesterday before we flew down here and, I mean, we made a 60-yarder as a unit. So I think, you know, 60 and in is a good number for us, but whatever they want me to go out there and do, I’ll try.”

This is, certainly, incredible news for the Tigers’ special teams, which has struggled to find a replacement for McPherson in his absence. In fact, McPherson’s self-evaluated number of 60 yards is actually already seven yards further than his previous career-high of 53 yards. Of course, practice kicking and kicking in a game environment are vastly different scenarios, but the fact that he has that range at this point in the season bodes well for the Tigers.

McPherson, now a senior, is already among the best kickers in Auburn history, as he has made 40 of his 45 field goal attempts as well as 100% of his 87 PAT attempts. He has also earned the 2025 Capital One Orange Bowl FWAA Courage Award, the 2025 Pat Sullivan Impact Award, SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors and Lou Groza Award Star of the Week honors.

If McPherson is truly back at full strength, the Tigers could be in a much better spot in one-score games than they were last season, in which they were the worst team in the country by record. Of course, special teams does not entirely define an offense, but the ability to score points from pretty much anywhere in enemy territory is something that Alex Golesh will almost certainly use to his advantage amidst a loaded SEC schedule.

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