Auburn football‘s returning to the field Friday evening, matchup up with Baylor in Waco, Texas, to start its season, and one of its specialists could be making a long-awaited return to the field.
Alex McPherson, a once-touted kicking prospect from Fort Payne, hasn’t been healthy for more than a season. Despite a brief return during the Tigers’ trouncing of Kentucky in 2024, McPherson didn’t see the field otherwise throughout the campaign, and after this offseason and a health diagnosis, the junior made the trip to the Lone Star State and is suited out for the Tigers.
Here’s three things to know about McPherson, including what transpired in the offseason to get him back on the field.
Why Auburn football kicker Alex McPherson return vs. Baylor would be much-anticipated
Listed at 150 pounds in 2023, McPherson said this spring his weight was in a constant flux throughout the 2024 campaign, with him weighing as little as 110 pounds.
Eventually, he received an official diagnosis in the offseason: ulcerative colitis. It required surgery to remove his colon, which he underwent Dec. 20.
“It changed my life,” he said. “I wouldn’t be here or playing football again without the surgery. I think it was definitely the right decision for me and my family. I’m glad I did it.”
Doctors told McPherson he could play football with an ostomy bag, and that pushed him to return to the field, he said.
Alex McPherson earned All-SEC honors with Auburn football
In 2023, McPherson didn’t miss a kick, going 13 for 13 on field goals and 40 for 40 on PATs. He was eventually named All-SEC by two different outlets, and he made the SEC All-Freshman team at season’s end.
Alex McPherson holds an Alabama state record for longest field goal kicked in high school
The top-ranked kicking prospect in his class, McPherson holds the Alabama state record for longest field goal kicked, hitting from 61 yards outs against North Jackson.
Adam Cole is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at acole@gannett.com or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @colereporter. To support Adam’s work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.
