The Auburn Tigers brought on many new coaches and coordinators during this past offseason's personnel overhaul. Jacob Bronowski, the Pitt Panthers' Special Teams Coordinator and Tight Ends coach over the past two seasons, comes to the Plains with many fantastic pieces to use.
Auburn's special teams unit claimed the No. 51 spot in ESPN's final SP+ rankings in 2025, which is solid footing but leaves room for improvement. While the special teams unit often put the offense in good positions, it didn't make enough big plays to bail out the offense's consistent lethargy.
These three special teamers could be Bronowski's biggest assets and move the needle the most during the 2026 season, all returning to the team after seeing varying degrees of success last year and before that:
K Alex McPherson
Alex McPherson's struggles are well-documented at this point. Diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in April 2024 and later getting surgery to remove his large intestine, McPherson was forced to wear an ostomy bag while playing. After going 19/20 on field goals and 49/49 on extra points his first two years, McPherson missed all but one game of the 2024 season and weighed as little as 110 pounds. Towns McGough struggled as the hometown kid (5/12), and Ian Vachon was a one-and-done who immediately transferred to the North Alabama Lions after the season. McPherson came back strong in 2025, going 20/23 on FGs and keeping his flawless career conversion rate on XPs intact.
This fall, having put much of the trauma and hardship of his intestinal issues behind him, McPherson has a chance to show the world the trajectory he was on before his health took a downturn a little over two years ago.
KR RayShawn Pleasant
The Tigers brought RayShawn Pleasant over from the Tulane Green Wave ahead of the 2025 season, and the decision couldn't have paid off better for then-special teams coordinator Chad Lunsford. Of course, Lunsford's only saving grace was in kick-returning, not punt-returning. More on that later. More on Pleasant now.
Pleasant had 412 kick return yards on 17 attempts, averaging 24.2 yards per return and even going 98 yards to the house on a return during a 38-24 victory against the Baylor Bears in Week 1 of the season. He was the bright spot of the special teams, though he stayed in his lane by only returning kicks.
PR Bryce Cain
Something's gotta give with Bryce Cain. As the only remaining member of the underwhelming "Freeze Four," Cain was clearly promised a role somewhere on Alex Golesh's team. With all of the incoming USF Bulls transfers in the receiving corps reviving their rapport with Byrum Brown, it probably won't be in the slot, as he'd probably like. Christian Neptune will get that job. Neptune doesn't have to steal every potential job, though.
With Pleasant returning kicks and doing it well, there isn't a role for Cain or Neptune there. Let's hope Auburn isn't going to let Cain's speed be a mostly off-ball role through two different regimes. Perhaps it's time he's unleashed as a punt-returner, bringing the ability to track high fly balls from his time in the outfield on the diamond at Baker High School.
Cain's lone kick return in his career was a 31-yarder against the South Alabama Jaguars last year. Lunsford never unleashed Cain, but perhaps Bronowski can. Let's finally see what Cain could do somewhere on the field this fall.
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