AUBURN | Anders Carlson isn’t all the way back just yet, but Auburn’s super senior kicker is getting close.

Bryan Harsin has no doubt Carlson will be ready for the season-opener against Mercer Sept. 3.

“Yeah, he looks like it,” said Harsin of Carlson’s return from ACL surgery last November. “Today, we had kickoff. He was wearing his brace today out there on the kickoff; I still think he hasn’t completely just put everything into his swing, but he put it in the end zone. That’s the thing; he’s got the leg.”

For Harsin, however, there’s a difference between Carlson returning to normal kicker levels and returning to Carlson levels. Last year, he made 14 of 21 field goals with 35 touchbacks on kickoffs in 10 games before the injury.

As a junior, Carlson made 20 of 22 field goals and had 37 touchbacks.

“He’s an elite talent,” said Harsin. “The thing about Anders is Anders is mature. Anders understands there’s a progression to all this, and by the time we’re ready to go play, he’ll be ready. He’s ready right now, but for his level, right, he can go out there and be as good as most kickers in the country right now. His level and where he’s trying to put himself, there’s a progression to get there.”

Carlson also has some serious competition this fall. Auburn signed the nation’s No. 1 kicker, Alex McPherson, in the 2022 class and the Ft. Payne, Ala., native has lived up to his billing in his first fall camp.

“McPherson has been pretty good,” said Harsin. “Alex is not as big as Anders; you can see that, but he packs a punch now, when you watch a kick. He’s got some torque, and that guy can boom it. He’s also a special talent. So, both those guys, I think, are pushing each other.”

The specialist group, which also includes walk-on kicker Evan McGuire, punter Oscar Chapman, who was second in the SEC with a 44.1 average last season, along with the snappers and holders, have been earning a lot of praise from Harsin and his staff during the early portion of preseason practice.

“When I called them out today, they were sitting in that back corner right there, and there was a big cheering section for themselves,” said Harsin. “But they really are — Anders, Oscar, all those guys — they’re doing some really good things. So our specialists are in a really good spot right now.”

Auburn will continue practice Wednesday morning. The Tigers will hold their first full-scale scrimmage at Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday evening.