When quarterback Byrum Brown first committed to USF to start his college journey, he came in as the No. 73 quarterback and the No. 1,178 overall prospect in the 2022 recruiting rankings. By the time he entered the transfer portal after the 2025 campaign, he had climbed to the No. 17 overall player and the No. 7 quarterback available.
Brown broke out in a major way for USF in 2025, and once it became public that his head coach, Alex Golesh, would be taking over at Auburn, Brown almost certainly had no shortage of suitors vying for his services in his final year of eligibility. Still, for Brown, deciding to join Golesh on the Plains was a no-brainer.
“Coach Golesh has shown an incredible amount of faith in me ever since I was 18,” Brown told AuburnTigers.com. “He gave me the keys to the offense, and even when I went down with an injury one year, he poured even more into me and trusted me even more. Through the highs and the lows, having a coach who stands right there with you that means everything. I absolutely took that into account. Why wouldn’t I go play for the guy who’s pushed me to be my best from day one and supported me in more ways than I could ever put into words?”
Brown stepped in as USF’s starter in 2022, the same year Golesh and offensive coordinator Joel Gordon arrived in Tampa, and he went on to break 15 program records during his time with the Bulls. He’s also one of just 11 players in NCAA history to throw for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in the same season, and Brown is fully convinced he can replicate that level of production in an Auburn uniform.
“I’m genuinely grateful just to be a quarterback at Auburn University,” Brown said. “I was grateful to be a quarterback at USF when I was fourth on the depth chart, so I have so much appreciation for USF, too. I just can’t wait to get out there and play for Auburn.”
With the same head coach and offensive coordinator in place, along with a number of former USF teammates joining him, Brown feels strongly that the Tigers are already headed in the right direction toward bringing Auburn football back to its traditional standard of excellence.
Golesh and Brown will get their first chance to unveil the revamped Auburn squad on September 5, when the Tigers open the season against Baylor in the Aflac Kickoff Game in Atlanta.
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