As anticipated, record-setting quarterback Byrum Brown is following his former head coach Alex Golesh from the University of South Florida to Auburn University.
Brown, one of the top quarterbacks in the NCAA transfer portal, announced Tuesday he was committing to the Southeastern Conference school.
"Coach Golish showed me his plan from day one when he got to USF, and now he came here and wanted to build something again," Brown told reporters in Auburn. "I trust in that man fully, so I can’t wait to bring this place back to where it should be.”
Brown, who formally entered the transfer portal Friday, visited the Auburn campus over the weekend. He becomes the eighth former USF player so far to join Golesh.
ALSO READ: USF's Byrum Brown announces he will enter the transfer portal
Brown’s move had been anticipated since Golesh left USF to accept the same role at Auburn hours after the Bulls’ season finale.
At Auburn, Brown provides immediate expertise running Golesh’s fast-break, no-huddle offense, which helped USF finish 9-4 and rank No. 2 in yards and scoring this past season.
“We’re going to score a lot of points,” Brown predicted.
Let’s do it, War Eagle!🦅 https://t.co/bKEAkGXTH9
— Byrum Brown (@byrumbrown17) January 6, 2026
Brown passed for 3,158 yards and 28 touchdowns and ran for 1,008 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2025. That put him in an elite group by becoming only the 12th player in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision to pass for 3,000 yards and run for 1,000 in a season.
Brown said he was "stoked" to make the jump from the American Conference, a Group of 6 league, to a Power 4 school in the tradition-rich SEC.
"Being able to come into this conference and showcase the same skill set and ability and win —that’s what I’m looking forward to,” he said.
Auburn has had 33 players enter the transfer portal since it fired Hugh Freeze in November, most notably quarterback Deuce Knight, a former five-star recruit.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Golesh had brought in nine transfers. All but one is from USF, including running back Nykahi Davenport, wide receivers Christian Neptune and Jeremiah Koger, and backup quarterback Locklan Hewlett.
Brown took part in USF's commencement ceremonies, receiving his diploma in public health on Dec. 13, before opting out of the Bulls’ 24-10 loss to Old Dominion in the Cure Bowl. However, he was on the sideline assisting in a coaching capacity during the game.
ALSO READ: New USF coach Hartline shares vision, says he's ready to connect with players and community
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound graduate senior has one year of eligibility left after missing eight games in 2024 with a broken leg. Brown, who went 18-14 as the starter for the Bulls, was ranked the No. 5 quarterback in the transfer portal by The Athletic.
“It was truly a decision between staying and coming here [to Auburn]," Brown said of USF. "It’s been home for the past four years, but sometimes the best thing is to move on. I felt like that was my best opportunity.”
Three days after Golesh’s departure, USF hired Ohio State offensive coordinator/receivers coach Brian Hartline as head coach.
The Buckeyes were eliminated from the College Football Playoff last week, allowing Hartline to work full time on rebuilding the Bulls’ roster.
As of Tuesday afternoon, USF has had 27 players leave through the transfer portal, but Hartline had commitments from 13 athletes out of Power 4 schools, including edge rusher C.J. Hicks, a former five-star recruit who left Ohio State, and receiver Arhmad Branch, a former four-star recruit from Purdue.
USF's transfer class is currently rated 14th best nationally by 247 Sports, which covers college recruiting.
