In today's edition of Auburn Tigers News, head coach Hugh Freeze provides an update on Alex McPherson's health and talks about Deuce Knight's first days on campus
For the first time in several seasons, the Auburn football program struggled with its kicking abilities in 2024. True freshman Towns McGough unexpectedly became the starting kicker for the Tigers after returning kicker Alex McPherson's health kept him from playing.
After McGough began struggling midseason, former Birmingham Southern kicker Ian Vachon got the starting nod for the final three games. Both McGough and Vachon are set to return this fall, in addition to former Southern Miss kicker Connor Gibbs, who transferred to the Plains last month.
Freeze told the media this week that McPherson underwent surgery in the offseason, and though there is uncertainty in whether or not he will return, Freeze expects a healthy level of competition between the kickers ahead of the season.
“There’s no question he’s feeling better,” Freeze said about McPherson, per AL.com. "Hopefully we’ll have healthy bodies that’ll battle it out and see."
Freeze on Deuce Knight's first days on the Plains
Meanwhile, there is also a quarterback competition underway for the Tigers. Payton Thorne exhausted his eligibility and Hank Brown, Holden Geriner, and Walker White all entered the transfer portal in December, meaning Auburn football will have a completely new QB room this fall.
Former Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold is expected to get the most reps and earn the starting nod this year with Tanner Bailey and Ashton Daniels serving backup roles, but incoming freshman Deuce Knight isn't going down without a fight.
“I believe in Deuce,” Freeze said, per Auburn Live. “Deuce is, man, the maturity he has –even after we recruited him, I still wasn’t quite aware. He’s in there studying every day. He doesn’t want to wait around to be great. He’s trying hard now to soak up every drop of knowledge that he can.”