Alex McPherson
| No. 38 – Auburn Tigers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Kicker |
| Class | Junior |
| Personal information | |
| Born | August 29, 2003 |
| Listed height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Listed weight | 160 lb (73 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Fort Payne (Fort Payne, Alabama) |
| College |
|
| Stats at ESPN | |
Alex McPherson (born August 29, 2003)[1] is an American football kicker who plays for the Auburn Tigers.
High school career
McPherson attended Fort Payne High School in Fort Payne, Alabama.[2] On July 6, 2021 he committed to Auburn University.[3] In October 2021, he broke the Alabama state field goal record for high school with a 61 yard field goal.[4]
College career
2022
McPherson was a redshirt freshman and played four games in 2022 following then-starting kicker Anders Carlson being ruled out for the season with an injury. He made his career debut against Texas A&M, where he attempted three field goals and scored two.[5] His longest field goal of the season was a 51-yard field goal against Western Kentucky.[6]
2023
McPherson played in every game during the 2023 season, without a single missed field goal or extra point.[7][8] He was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award.[9]
2024
Throughout the 2024 season, McPherson suffered from ulcerative colitis. He played one game, against the Kentucky Wildcats.[10] In December of the same year, he had surgery to remove his large intestine.[11]
2025
In the pre-season, head coach Hugh Freeze expressed positivity that McPherson would be prepared to play in the upcoming season, as he re-gained weight that he lost due to his illness.[12] He was named to the 2025 Lou Groza Award watch list in August.[13] In the first three games of the season, he scored fifteen of fifteen extra points, alongside two field goals.[14] Against the Arkansas Razorbacks, he tied the school record with six made field goals.[15] He finished the season with 20 made field goals.[16]
2026
McPherson stated that he was back to full strength ahead of spring practice in 2026.[17]
Career statistics
| Year | Team | GP | Field goals | Extra points | Total points | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FGM | FGA | FG% | Lng | XPM | XPA | XP% | ||||
| 2022 | Auburn | 4 | 6 | 7 | 85.7 | 51 | 9 | 9 | 100.0 | 27 |
| 2023 | Auburn | 13 | 13 | 13 | 100.0 | 53 | 40 | 40 | 100.0 | 79 |
| 2024 | Auburn | 1 | 1 | 2 | 50.0 | 27 | 3 | 3 | 100.0 | 6 |
| 2025 | Auburn | 12 | 20 | 23 | 87.0 | 49 | 35 | 35 | 100.0 | 95 |
Personal life
McPherson's brother is Evan McPherson, a placekicker who has played for the Cincinnati Bengals.[18]
References
- ^ Cole, Adam (October 30, 2025). "How Alex McPherson kept faith through ulcerative colitis battle to return as Auburn kicker". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
- ^ Jones, Taylor. "Auburn football 2025 snapshot profile: Alex McPherson". Auburn Wire. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Top Ranked Kicker Alex McPherson Commits to Auburn!". College and Magnolia. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
- ^ "WATCH: Alex McPherson makes record-breaking 61-yard field goal". Auburn Wire. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
- ^ "Alex McPherson 2022 Stats per Game". ESPN. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
- ^ Elmore, Josiah (July 19, 2023). "Fort Payne native McPherson provides Freeze consistency at the kicker position". CBS 42. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
- ^ Hester, A.J. (April 11, 2025). "Auburn Tigers Key Player Returning to Form in 2025". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
- ^ Karle, Rick (April 13, 2025). "From 160 to 110 Pounds and back: Auburn kicker's inspiring journey to play football again". AL.com. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
- ^ "Auburn's Alex McPherson named Groza Award semifinalist". Auburn Tigers. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
- ^ "Auburn football kicker Alex McPherson makes season debut with FG vs. Kentucky". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
- ^ Rauterkus, Peter (April 9, 2025). "Alex McPherson details his recovery from illness that sidelined him in 2024". AL.com. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
- ^ Jordan, Phillip. "Auburn's Hugh Freeze shares a positive update regarding Alex McPherson". Auburn Wire. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
- ^ Shearer, Jeff (August 5, 2025). "Auburn's McPherson named to Groza Award watch list for 2025 season". Times-Journal. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
- ^ Cole, Adam (September 15, 2025). "With FG vs. South Alabama, is Auburn kicker Alex McPherson steadily returning to health?". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved September 20, 2025.
- ^ Humphrey III, Jerry (October 25, 2025). "Alex McPherson rebounds with record-tying six field goals in Auburn's victory over Arkansas". AL.com. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
- ^ "'The cherry on top': Alex McPherson honored with FWAA Courage Award". Auburn Tigers. December 4, 2025. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
- ^ Cole, Adam (March 17, 2026). "Auburn football kicker Alex McPherson at 'full strength' ahead of 2026". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
- ^ Gray, Nick. "Watch Fort Payne's Evan McPherson send Cincinnati Bengals to Super Bowl with game-winning field goal". The Gadsden Times. Retrieved July 17, 2025.