The Auburn Tigers have bolstered their special teams unit through the transfer portal by adding former Southern Miss kicker Connor Gibbs, as reported by Caleb Jones.
Gibbs, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound sophomore, played 16 games across two seasons with the Golden Eagles. In 2024, he converted 10 of 13 field goal attempts, including a career-long 59-yarder. On kickoffs, Gibbs averaged 59.2 yards over 30 attempts, with six resulting in touchbacks. A highly rated recruit, Gibbs was a five-star prospect and ranked as the No. 20 kicker nationally in the 2023 class by Kohl’s Kicking.
Gibbs aims to help Auburn reclaim its reputation as a special teams powerhouse in 2025. The Tigers faced significant struggles in 2024, largely due to the absence of Alex McPherson, who only appeared in one game and went 1-for-2 on field goals. True freshman Towns McGough stepped in but managed only five of 12 field goals. Sophomore Ian Vachon took over for the final three games, going six of eight. Overall, Auburn finished last in the SEC in field goal percentage (54.6%), a stark contrast to the conference average, with no other team below 66.7%.
Gibbs is the second special teams addition for Auburn through the portal, joining former Oklahoma State punter Hudson Kaak. Meanwhile, redshirt sophomore punter Gabe Russo entered the transfer portal after two seasons without game appearances.
In addition to transfers, Auburn has secured five-star punter John Alan McGuire, ranked as the No. 5 punter nationally by Kohl’s Kicking, as part of its 2025 high school recruiting class.
For more details on Auburn’s transfer portal activity and the 14 players departing the program, click here.
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