BREAKING: Thompson punter John Alan McGuire commits to Auburn
Thompson (Alabaster, Ala.) punter John Alan McGuire has committed to Auburn.
McGuire, who is ranked the No. 2 punter in the country by Kohl’s Kicking, announced his decision Sunday on social media. He chose Auburn over Florida State.
“I’ve been coming to Auburn games since I was two or three,” he said. “My mom graduated from here. My sister went here and my brother (Evan) went here. So, when I came down here to kick for (special teams coach Tanner Burns), it felt like home compared to all the other places I went.”
McGuire, who attended Big Cat on Saturday, has been impressed with Burns and has started to develop a good relationship with the coach.
“I like how honest he is,” McGuire said. “With him, it felt like I could talk to him like a friend, like I had known him since forever almost.”
The opportunity for early playing time also is an asset for Auburn. Current punter Oscar Chapman is a senior this fall.
“That is going to be good for me,” he said. “I’ve always felt like if I could go somewhere I could compete and have a chance to get to get a spot, I could get it.”
Kohl’s Kicking ranks McGuire a five-star punter (No. 2 in the country) and a five-star kicker (No. 21 in the country).
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Kohl’s comments on McGuire
“McGuire had another good showing at the Southern Showcase in May of 2024. He scored 117.4 points in punting, 116.4 on kickoffs, and 11/15 on field goals. His punts travel often 55-60 yards from the line of scrimmage. He had a huge Underclassman Challenge by scoring a camp-high 113.88 points in punting and a very good 113.88 points on kickoffs. He also showed well on FG’s scoring 13 points.
“McGuire ended up winning the final punt competition at camp and was the #1 punter in the 2025 class after the event. He also recently competed at Kohl’s 2023 National Scholarship Camp. He moved into the 5-star category as a kicker by scoring 28 points on field goals and 108.50 points on kick-offs. He also scored 99.75 points as a punter.
“McGuire is a very talented combo k/p who is growing in his command of his body. At the Spring Showcase, he showed impressive flashes during the field goal drill work portion of camp. He scored 7/15 points during charting for field goals. He scored 108.45 points on kickoff and 106.66 points for punts. At the Underclassman Challenge and scored 100.17 points in punting 102.25 points on kick-offs, and 12 points on field goals.
“At a December 2022 Showcase, he scored 106.7 points on kick-offs and 108.3 points on punts during the charting phase of camp. McGuire attended his first Kohl’s ranking event during the 2022 Kohl’s National Scholarship Camp. He put together an excellent performance, finishing with an average kickoff score over the 3 charting sessions of 98.05 points while adding in 22/36 total points in the field goal charting.
“McGuire has impressive talent and looks to be an exciting prospect in the 2025 class!”
