Could 2022 Recruit Alex McPherson be LSU Football’s Kicker of the Future?
Alex McPherson has had the upper edge throughout his recruitment process because of his brother. McPherson's elder sibling, Evan, is currently kicking for the Florida Gators, entering his sophomore season after going 17-of-19 as a freshman.
Evan earned about a dozen Division I scholarship offers and has been a crutch for Alex to lean on now that he's fully immersed in his junior season at Fort Payne High School.
"I've just learned to have fun with it, not take it too serious," McPherson said. "It's your recruitment so you've obviously got to take it serious but it's important to also have fun and do your research to find the best fit."
With McPherson's brother currently kicking in Gainesville, of course the Gators have shown strong interest. McPherson has earned three offers from SEC programs LSU, Florida and Tennessee, all of which could be looking for a kicker in 2022.
LSU in particular has sophomore Cade York on the roster and he'd be a senior by the time the McPherson theoretically could arrive on campus.
"It's cool to feel wanted and people make you feel wanted when you're being recruited," McPherson said. "They [LSU] treat you like family more than anything else so it's been a fun process, I've learned a lot."
McPherson initially was told to contact LSU special teams coach Greg McMahon in July to talk about the program. After speaking with McMahon, McPherson was extended an offer a week later.
The two have stayed in contact since, with the Tigers reaching out on Sept. 1 as well.
"He's talked about how consistent and how strong my leg is for a guy my size," McPherson said. "I have a great background and he likes that I've really performed well at the Kohl's Kicking camps. We have a phone call every week and are getting to know each other."
Kickers go through a different recruitment process than most other high school players as they generate most of their buzz at Kohl's Kicking Camp in addition to game film. It's where York established himself as the No. 1 kicker in the country two years ago and where McPherson has had similar success, currently No. 3 in the 2022 class.
"I've been going to that camp since my ninth grade year and I've really learned how to handle the mentality part of kicking," McPherson said. "That's one of the biggest parts for me and I've really learned how to handle myself and not overthink anything."
He describes his kicking style as "smooth" and that he's hitting the ball extremely well this season, being four games into the season. McPherson is 4-for-6 on field goals with his only two misses coming from 63 and 54 yards out. That does include a long of 56 however and hasn't missed an extra point this season as well.
At LSU, McPherson is really impressed with the recent history the program has in the kicking game between Cole Tracy and Cade York.
"The coaching staff really pays attention to special teams and that's a huge part of their success," McPherson said. "That's a big deal to me because I want to go somewhere they're gonna put a ton of effort in special teams and that helps me do my job better."
McPherson hasn't officially visited the program yet but did go to the LSU-Florida game last season to watch his brother kick in Death Valley.
"That was a cool experience, it was different because it was in Death Valley and I'd never been there before," McPherson said. "It was a really cool experience, really loud. I really like where the program's at right now. I think they have that swag, they know they're good and they can back it up."