Auburn football K Alex McPherson battling 'health issue,' but expected to play in 2024

ALEXANDER CITY — Redshirt sophomore kicker Alex McPherson, one of Auburn football's most effective players, is dealing with a non-injury-related issue ahead of his third season with the team.

"It's a weird issue, and I really don't want to go into that," coach Hugh Freeze said Tuesday at an AMBUSH event when asked about the health of his team. "But he's battling one. I think he'll be OK."

Freeze later clarified that he expects McPherson to play in 2024, but "he's just battling a health issue. It's taken a while, really, to get diagnosed. It has to do with his gastro-intestines. I think they're on the path to being on the right track."

McPherson, the younger brother of Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson, was a Lou Groza Award semifinalist in 2023, going 100% on both field goals (13-for-13) and points after touchdowns (40-for-40). He was rated by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 1 kicker in the Class of 2022.

Auburn is mostly healthy, with preseason practices about a month away, Freeze said. Redshirt freshman cornerback Tyler Scott is out for the season with an injured ACL, but he's the only player currently expected to miss time; offensive lineman Tate Johnson is undergoing a minor surgery, but Freeze expects him to be ready come August.

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Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.