Since 2022, Auburn football has relied upon transfer portal quarterbacks to lead its offense. The trend will not change in 2026; however, Auburn’s next transfer portal quarterback will enter the season with higher expectations than his predecessors.
USF transfer Byrum Brown followed his head coach, Alex Golesh, to Auburn and is set to be the team’s starting quarterback for the 2026 season. He enjoyed his best season as a college quarterback last season by passing for 3,158 yards and rushing for an additional 1,008. CBS Sports expects Brown to thrive in his lone season on the Plains by giving him high expectations ahead of spring practice. Cody Nagel of CBS Sports ranks Brown as the fifth-best quarterback in the SEC entering 2026, trailing several notable established SEC quarterbacks, including Texas’ Arch Manning and Georgia’s Gunner Stockton.
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Nagel feels that Brown’s familiarity with Alex Golesh and offensive coordinator Joel Gordon will lead to a seamless transition and ease the minds of Auburn fans, who have experienced inconsistent quarterback play over the last few seasons.
Auburn is desperate for stability at quarterback after a revolving door of transfers and inconsistent play during the Hugh Freeze era. While Brown acts as a one-year transitional piece for new coach Alex Golesh, the familiarity with the system and terminology from their time together at South Florida should make the adjustment seamless. He’s one of only 11 players in FBS history with at least 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a season and has averaged 2.74 total touchdowns per game over the past three years, 10th-most among quarterbacks with at least 12 starts in that span, per TruMedia.
Brown was a star at USF under Golesh, passing for 7,690 yards and rushing for 2,265 yards in four seasons with the Bulls, scoring 93 touchdowns. He transferred to Auburn during the offseason, looking to compete in the grind that is the SEC, and will have comfort in playing for Golesh and playing with four of his top five receivers from last season. Despite not playing a game for the Tigers yet, Brown is projected to have a better season than the likes of LaNorris Sellers, Marcel Reed, John Mateer, and KJ Jackson.
Auburn fans will get their first look at Brown and the Auburn offense on Saturday, April 18, during the annual A-Day game at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Where CBS Sports ranks Auburn QB Byrum Brown ahead of 2026 season
