When Auburn hired former South Florida coach Alex Golesh to lead the Tigers football program, many figured he would be the first half of a package deal with Bulls star quarterback Byrum Brown. That became official Tuesday, as the dynamic dual-threat QB announced his commitment to Auburn.
The decision comes after Brown visited Auburn this weekend. A four-year player at USF with 35 games under his belt, he has one year of eligibility remaining and will spend it in the SEC.
Brown is coming off of his best college season yet, in which he threw for 3,158 yards, 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions. His 66.3% completion percentage was his highest for a full season, as was an impressive 9.3 yards per attempt and 14 yards per completion. Brown is also a dynamic rusher, adding 1,008 yards and 14 scores on the ground.
Former USF QB Byrum Brown has committed to Auburn, per his agents @drewjrosenhaus and @ShawnODare of Rosenhaus Sports. Brown follows USF coach Alex Golesh to Auburn and has a deal that projects as one of the most lucrative in the NIL era. pic.twitter.com/h54dOSQeNM
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 6, 2026
The move to Auburn will represent a serious step up in competition for Brown, but he did acquit himself pretty well in a pair of road games against Power 4 programs this season, leading the Bulls to an 18–16 win over Florida and a 49–12 loss to national semifinalist Miami in consecutive weeks. He threw for 537 yards with two touchdowns and an interception against two strong defenses, accounting for 68 rushing yards.
The Rolesville, N.C. native was a second-team All-American Conference honoree this season.
With Brown penciled in as the presumptive starter for 2026, Golesh will coach his first game with the Tigers on Sept. 5, 2026 against Baylor in Atlanta.
Byrum Brown career stats
| Year | Games | Comp % | Pass Yards | YPA | TD | Int | Rush Yards | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 4 | 72% | 404 | 8.1 | 5 | 1 | 179 | 3 |
| 2023 | 13 | 64.6% | 3,292 | 7.7 | 26 | 11 | 809 | 11 |
| 2024 | 6 | 59.1% | 836 | 6.3 | 2 | 0 | 269 | 3 |
| 2025 | 12 | 66.3% | 3,158 | 9.3 | 28 | 7 | 1,008 | 14 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Auburn Lands Familiar QB From Group of 5 Ranks to Lead Alex Golesh Offense.
