One of the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal is now off the board — and headed to an expected destination.
Former South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown has committed to Auburn, he announced on Tuesday, Jan. 6.
With his move, Brown follows new Tigers coach Alex Golesh from South Florida, where the two teamed up last season to engineer one of college football’s most explosive and productive offenses.
Given his recent track record, it’s easy to understand why.
While helping guide the Bulls to a 9-3 record in the regular season, Brown threw for 3,158 yards, 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions while adding 1,008 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. His 347.2 total yards per game ranked first among all FBS players, right ahead of Heisman Trophy runner-up Diego Pavia.
South Florida’s nine wins last season were the program’s most in eight years, helping Golesh earn the opportunity at Auburn after a strong three-year run with the Bulls in which his teams went 23-15.
The 6-3, 232-pound Brown was South Florida’s starter each of the past three seasons, though a lower leg injury in 2024 limited him to five games. As a sophomore in 2023, he threw for 3,292 yards and 26 touchdowns while rushing for another 809 yards and 11 scores.
At Auburn, he’ll step into the starting role at a program that has been in desperate need for a difference-maker at quarterback for years.
Despite having offensive-minded head coaches throughout that stretch, the Tigers haven’t finished higher than 68th among FBS teams in scoring offense since 2019. Last season, they averaged just 26.8 points per game, the 74th-best mark of 136 FBS teams. Those struggles negated what was a largely stout defense, one that finished 35th in the FBS in points allowed per game.