Auburn QB Byrum Brown Earns Top-3 National Ranking in Exciting PFF List

Throughout the last half-decade, the Auburn Tigers have lacked one extremely important component that has heavily contributed to the worst stretch in program history.

A quarterback.

A quarterback who’s consistent, who can make the easy pass, and ultimately commands leadership of the offense at crucial moments late in a game. Auburn hasn’t had a true, solidified “QB1” since Jarrett Stidham in 2017 and 2018 — until now.

USF transfer Byrum Brown has generated an immense amount of excitement and buzz around the Plains since following his head coach Alex Golesh to Auburn in the winter. And that hype around the tenured signal-caller seems to only be growing with just a few weeks until the Tigers’ opener against Baylor in Atlanta.

Pro Football Focus recently ranked its top five deep ball passers in college football ahead of 2026, and Brown was interestingly listed No. 3 nationally.

The only two quarterbacks to beat out Brown for the top spots were Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, one of last year’s Heisman finalists, and Oregon’s Dante Moore. Brown ranked above USC quarterback Jayden Maiava and Ole Miss star Trinidad Chambliss, who are ranked No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.

PFF’s Daire Carragher wrote that Brown boasts the strongest arm of any quarterback on the list, which is certainly a powerful statement considering how several members of the media and public have been criticizing his throwing motion and the overall ability to utilize his arm throughout the offseason.

Carragher also pointed out that Brown finished with a 52.7% accuracy rate on deep throws, the third-best mark among returning starting quarterbacks this season, and how the now-Auburn Tiger is just one of nine returners who completed more than half of their deep attempts in 2025.

It may shock some that Brown is so highly regarded and sits among some the nation’s best, but statistically, it’s not exactly that shocking. The former Bull has thrown for 3,000 yards twice in his career — 2023 and 2025 — with 54 total touchdowns through the air combined across those two seasons.

To make an even more impressive feat, Brown did in a run-heavy Golesh offense, where he also led USF in rushing with 1,000 on the ground last season. He’s one of just 12 quarterbacks to record 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a single season, joining a special contingent consisting of stars such as Vince Young, Johnny Manziel, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, and more.

Now, of course, there’s a looming question surrounding Brown that won’t exactly be answered in its entirety until toe meets leather: how will his successes in Tampa translate to the SEC?

And that’s a fair question, as the athleticism and talent of an SEC defense is certainly magnified and much more prominent than that of American Conference defenses.

However, the legitimacy of the argument is questionable, especially when we’ve seen some of the best quarterbacks in recent memory come from the Group of 6.

For example, Chambliss was an absolute force at Ole Miss last year — he was previously at Division II Ferris State before transferring to the Rebels.

Former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia is another one. He hit the transfer portal and landed at Vanderbilt after spending a couple of years at New Mexico State, where he and the Aggies beat Auburn handily at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Hugh Freeze’s first season.

Pavia took the conference by storm and injected life into that Vanderbilt program, eventually becoming a Heisman Trophy finalist — he came from a Group of 6 program.

Obviously, Brown is going to have to prove himself again, but the pieces are there for Auburn’s offense to take some strides in the right direction.

The arm talent is evident. Brown’s legs are a dangerous weapon that all defenses are going to need to account for, and his prior experience with Golesh and the entire offensive staff is invaluable.

Most of Auburn’s success in 2026 will be determined by Brown’s performance, but the continuity with the scheme and the familiar talent around him should make the transition much smoother than it typically would be for a first-year transfer quarterback.

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