Auburn Lands ‘Strongest Kickoff Leg in the Country’ in No. 2 2027 Kicker

The Auburn Tigers' special teams received a major boost, picking up one of the best kickers in the 2027 cycle on Monday.

Auburn football added one of the best kicking prospects in the 2027 class in Noah Ash on Monday. | Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Auburn Tigers have been on an absolute tear in recruiting over the past few days, as on Sunday, new head coach Alex Golesh insinuated that the Tigers landed six recruits in just one day.

Early on Monday, the second domino fell with the commitment of five-star kicking prospect Noah Ash from the 2027 class.

BREAKING: Auburn has landed a commitment from kicker Noah Ash

Ash is tabbed as the No. 2 kicker in the nation

MORE: https://t.co/OJNBx7783d pic.twitter.com/mbFc8d1h0G

— Christian Clemente (@CClemente247) June 1, 2026

Special teams are often overlooked in recruiting, but Ash’s ability cannot be overstated, and he projects to be a great piece for the Tigers in the future. According to Kohl’s Professional Camps, a leading ranking group for special teamers, Ash ranks as a five-star kicker and a four-and-a-half-star punter, though he will likely stick to kicking once on the Plains.

According to 247Sports, Ash only ranks as a three-star, but is still the second-best in the country for his class.

Currently, the Tigers lean on Alex McPherson for all kicking duties, but his time on the Plains is running out, and a new kicker will need to step up for the future of Alex Golesh’s program. McPherson will leave some big shoes to fill, though, as he won the 2025 Capital One Orange Bowl FWAA Courage Award, the 2025 Pat Sullivan Impact Award, SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors on Oct. 27 and Lou Groza Award Star of the Week honors on Oct. 28, all in one season.

If there is anyone to fill those shoes, though, it is Ash, who has been described as one with the “best kickoff leg in the country,” per Kohl’s Professional Camps. In fact, his biggest kick in the Kohl’s Southern Showcase earlier this year traveled a whopping 75 yards and hung in the air for 4.4 seconds.

The Tigers have struggled to find a consistent kicking option over the past few years, as Alex McPherson has been sidelined for a large part of the last two seasons as he battled ulcerative colitis. Though he is healthy now, his time away exposed the gaps in Auburn’s special teams, which Golesh is clearly now looking to fill.

Towns McGough and Ian Vachon tried to fill McPherson’s shoes, but had little success and have both since transferred, McGough to California and Vachon to North Alabama. Ash will look to be the first to successfully follow McPherson now that he has committed to the Plains. 

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