Auburn QB Byrum Brown Retells Spring Interaction with Cam Newton

Auburn transfer quarterback Byrum Brown is looking to erase the program issues at the position that have occurred over the last several years. So, why not get some advice from one of the best in program history?

Back in April, during a practice inside Jordan-Hare Stadium, Heisman quarterback Cam Newton met the USF transfer, exchanging advice to a quarterback who is making the jump to the SEC in his final year of eligibility. Brown was introduced by head coach Alex Golesh during the interaction.

. @byrumbrown17 🤝 @CameronNewton pic.twitter.com/rkpdtLIZWD
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) April 3, 2026

Last week, during SEC Media Days in Tampa, Fla., Brown revealed what Newton was telling him during the spring practice. It was a very simple takeaway.

“It was just, you know, ‘Go out there and be you.’ Be a dog,’” Brown said last week. “That’s really it. Like, just go out there, and be a dog, and as you did at the past institution, will this team some victories as well.”

There are similarities between the two quarterbacks, although Brown will need to have one of the best seasons for an SEC quarterback in recent memory to match what Newton did. However, they play similarly when it comes to running the football.

Newton won his Heisman Trophy in 2010, becoming the third quarterback in FBS history to finish a season with 20 passing and rushing touchdowns each. Since then, only one quarterback has been able to surpass that: Lamar Jackson.

But Brown has the similar archetype; an athletic, dual-threat quarterback who can make plays with his legs. He’s recorded two seasons of 20 passing and 10 rushing touchdowns, and Auburn’s rushing attack is expected to be emphasized in 2026.

Heisman expectations are lofty ones for Brown, but if players like Jayden Daniels and Jalen Hurts can make waves after making a move to the SEC, why can’t he? He’s going to do it his own way, however.

“I just want to be Byrum Brown,” he said. “That’s all I can be, and I want to be the best version of him. That starts with preparing now. Preparation started in January and continues throughout the season.”

The USF transfer is also simply looking to build the program that Golesh is looking to spearhead, beginning in 2026. Auburn has already done so with a top-10 recruiting class in his opening offseason, but the work doesn’t stop there.

Especially in today’s world, recruits can always flip, so the performances on the gridiron will need to match Golesh’s vision. Fortunately, he has a quarterback who has done life with him for the last four years.

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