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With Alex McPherson in his final year with the Auburn Tigers, there have been some concerns about how the Tigers will move on from him. After all, when McPherson was sidelined with a gastrointestinal issue in 2024, the Tigers’ kicking suffered immensely, begging the question: who is next?
Alex Golesh, the newest head coach of the Tigers, seems to have found an answer to that question in class of 2027 commit Noah Ash, who recently won Kohl’s Kicking National Champion honors alongside uncommitted kicker Peter Hagey, both of whom made 61-yarders to earn the honor.
For those who are unfamiliar with Ash, he is a five-star kicker according to Kohl’s Professional Camps, which is considered one of the best-ranking groups for kickers, as well as a four-and-a-half-star punter, though he will likely stick to kicking when he makes his way to the Plains, as the Tigers tend to prefer Australian-style punters.
Ash committed to the Tigers on June 1, and to this day, he is still ranked as the No. 2 kicker in the country by 247Sports, which only lists him as a three-star. Special teamers often do not get their flowers in rankings, but Ash’s potential impact on the Plains cannot be understated.
After all, the Tigers have boasted some of the best kickers in the country over the past decade, including the Carlson brothers, Daniel and Anders, both of whom signed to NFL teams out of college, though Anders has now moved to the UFL after a bit of a rough stint in the NFL.
Daniel, the older of the two, is the Southeastern Conference’s all-time leader in points scored with over 400, and continues to kick for the Las Vegas Raiders to this day. He also holds 14 unique Auburn kicking records and was a two-time SEC Special Teams Player of the Year.
From the younger Carlson, the team moved to McPherson, the younger brother of former Florida turned Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson, who will contend for an all-time FBS record for field goal make percentage during 2026 before almost certainly ending up in the NFL after this season.
So, the stage is set for Ash, who is looking to join the long line of Auburn kicking dominance as he heads to the Plains in 2027, though he will be a true freshman in the Tigers’ first year without McPherson. If the Tigers decide to lean on the prospect touted as the ‘strongest kickoff leg in the country’ in 2027, Ash will have the pressure of many great kickers before him to live up to. However, as his National Championship win shows, he does not have any issues with pressure.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/auburn as Auburn Commit Wins Kicking National Champion Honors.
