Anders Carlson has big shoes to fill.
The rising redshirt freshman kicker is the younger brother of Daniel Carlson, Auburn’s four-year starting placekicker from 2014-17 and a three-time finalist for the Lou Groza Award. Out of high school, Anders Carlson was the highest-rated kicker in the nation, casually booting 60-plus-yarders through with ease.
When he arrived on The Plains last season, Carlson knew exactly what he was getting himself into. However, the Colorado Springs, Colorado native trusts that sitting and learning in his redshirt season from the Southeastern Conference’s all-time leader in points was a dream scenario for his progression.
“That’s one of the biggest advantages I chose,” Carlson said of his redshirt year. “Having a redshirt year is a big reason why I came, especially with my brother. It’s been so helpful. Hopefully it will pay off.
His progression has been smooth sailing this spring, as the 6-foot-5 kicker has been the star of special teams for the Tigers. That progression reached its climax Saturday at the team’s half-scrimmage, when Carlson nailed a 62-yard kick, albeit a dead-ball play.
The play came on a 3rd-and-42 when head coach Gus Malzahn sought to stretch Carlson’s range to its limit. According to Carlson, he had room to spare, and his maximum kick could be up to 65 yards out.
His older brother, whose career-long was 56 yards vs. Louisville in 2015, was watching from the sidelines.
“You can look at it two ways,” Carlson said. “Yeah, it’s brother-brother, but I like to think of it as I’m another kicker, he was another kicker. I’m just stepping in and doing my role here at Auburn just like any other kicker would. But obviously there’s something special between us.”
Obviously.
Carlson is one of the few freshmen in recent Auburn history to be 100 percent assumed as the Week 1 starter. Despite the monster kick being a dead play, he trusts in his ability to be just as masterful when the Tigers take on Washington in Atlanta.
“You’ve always got butterflies no matter what,” Carlson said. “But we’ll be ready.”
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