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Senior kicker Anders Carlson (26) sets up for a kick during Auburn football practice on Aug. 11 in Auburn.
Auburn kicker Anders Carlson is back on the practice fields for fall camp and he’s “good to go,” he said Wednesday, nine months removed from an ACL injury that sidelined him for the final three games of Auburn’s 2021 season.
“The first few months were tough and hard and long days, but since then, a lot of green lights,” Carlson said. “The knee feels extremely strong.”
Although he’s 100%, Carlson said he plans to wear a brace while kicking for all of 2022.
“It feels strong without the brace,” Carlson said. “I like to workout without the brace, do some running, but just in terms of if something does happen. And also, I took it off two weeks ago and was kicking without it. Everything was fine, but it just didn’t feel as tight, necessarily, or strong, so I thought it was the best decision to put it on.”
After an onside kick in last year’s 43-34 loss to Mississippi State, Carlson went down with the injury. He was 14-for-21 on field goal attempts through 10 games last year and made 35 extra point attempts. He’s both third in Auburn career points scored (352) and second in program history in career field goals made (67). He trails only his brother, Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson, in the latter category.
Head coach Bryan Harsin said Carlson was 4-for-4 on field goal attempts in Auburn’s Saturday scrimmage.
“It was good to have him back out there, too, after the injury and to see him get out there and get a few kicks,” Harsin said. “He’s been really doing well in camp, but tonight it was good to be out in the stadium, I think, for him as well.”
Carlson said he made his first field goal back from injury in the spring — a 40-yarder — though he wasn’t a full-go for Auburn practices at the time.
Joining Carlson as Auburn’s other kicker this season will be Alex McPherson, who was the highest-rated kicker in the class of 2023. Like Carlson, McPherson’s brother — Evan McPherson — is also an NFL kicker.
“We’re very different in our kicking styles, I would say, if you haven’t seen it,” Carlson said of Alex. “But man, that guy, his talent is through the roof. He’s gonna have a great career here.”
Carlson also compared Auburn’s McPherson to another notable NFL name in Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, as he believes the two share similar kicking styles.
“I compare him to that,” Carlson said. “Athletic. His technique’s just not as straight. There’s a lot of lean-off. So it’s cool to see a different style like that.”
Freshman quarterback Holden Geriner (12) runs a drill. Auburn football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Auburn.
Junior running back Tank Bigsby (4) runs a drill. Auburn football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Auburn.
Sophomore running back Jarquez Hunter (27) runs a drill. Auburn football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Auburn.
Sophomore linebacker Joko Willis (33) and senior Derrick Hall (29) run a drill. Auburn football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Auburn.
Senior defensive lineman Marcus Bragg (98) sets for a drill. Auburn football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Auburn.
Linebackers coach Christian Robinson runs a drill with freshman linebacker Robert Woodyard Jr (17). Auburn football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Auburn.
Linebackers coach Christian Robinson sets up for a drill. Auburn football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Auburn.
Senior offensive lineman Jalil Irvin (50) sets for a drill. Auburn football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Auburn.
Senior offensive lineman Kilian Zierer (77) blocks redshirt freshman defensive end Tobechi Okoli (58) during a drill. Auburn football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Auburn.
Sophomore offensive lineman Avery Jernigan (57) blocks junior defensive lineman Marcus Harris (50) during a drill. Auburn football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Auburn.
Senior receiver Shedrick Jackson (11) catches a pass. Auburn football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Auburn.
Redshirt feshman edge Dylan Brooks (39) runs a drill. Auburn football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Auburn.
Redshirt feshman receiver Tar'Varish Dawson Jr. (3) catches a pass. Auburn football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Auburn.
Junior running back Tank Bigsby (4) catches a pass. Auburn football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Auburn.
Junior tight end Tyler Fromm (85) catches a pass. Auburn football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Auburn.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Robby Ashford (9) throws a pass. Auburn football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Auburn.
Sophomore receiver Landen King (14) catches a pass. Auburn football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Auburn.
Sophomore quarterback Zach Calzada (10) throws a pass. Auburn football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Auburn.
Freshman receiver Camden Brown (17) catches a pass. Auburn football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Auburn.
Senior tight end John Smauel Shenker (25) catches a pass. Auburn football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Auburn.
Junior tight end Brandon Frazier (87) catches a pass. Auburn football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Auburn.
Sophomore receiver Dazalin Worsham (8) catches a pass. Auburn football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Auburn.
Junior tight end Luke Deal (86) catches a pass. Auburn football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Auburn.
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Adam has been covering Auburn athletics since March 2022. He graduated from the University of Missouri in May 2021 and has appeared in multiple publications, including the Kansas City Star and Omaha World-Herald, among others.
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