Alex McPherson's senior season with Auburn football is shaping up to be special. The senior kicker begins the season on the preseason watchlists for the Lou Groza Award and the Danny Wuerffel Trophy for his incredible work both on and off the field.
The first award McPherson is on the watchlist for is the Wuerffel Trophy, which recognizes FBS players "who lead through community service while excelling in the classroom and on the field." He won several awards following his recovery, including the FWAA Courage Award and the Pat Sullivan Award, and has since become an advocate for Crohn's disease awareness.
McPherson's on-the-field performance is being recognized by the Lou Groza Award, which included him on its preseason watchlist. McPherson, a semifinalist for the award in 2023, joins a plethora of SEC kickers, including Vanderbilt's Brock Taylor, Texas A&M's David Olano, and Florida's Patrick Durkin, on the watchlist. The Lou Groza Award is given annually to the nation's top kicker, and three SEC kickers have won the award since 2019, most recently by Oklahoma's Tate Sendell last season.
McPherson returned to full-time status as Auburn's placekicker last season after battling health issues in 2024, but he was still not at full speed. Still, he managed to connect on all 35 of his point-after attempts and made 20 of 23 field goal tries, with a long of 47 yards. Now at full strength, McPherson aims to end the season with a few awards.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn kicker Alex McPherson listed on two award watchlists