Auburn’s Byrum Brown Ranks in Top-20 Best 2026 Quarterbacks

There has been quite a lot of speculation surrounding new Auburn Tigers quarterback Byrum Brown, with some arguing that he may just be the greatest quarterback Auburn has ever had, while others argue he will not last a game.

The truth, as it seems to always do, likely lands somewhere in the middle, which is right about where The Sporting News’ Bill Bender ranked him.

Bender, in an article ranking the top 25 best college football quarterbacks headed into 2026, ranked Brown at 17th, comparing his past production to future projection.

“Brown led the FBS in total offense with 347.2 yards per game at South Florida last season, and he followed coach Alex Golesh via the transfer portal,” Bender wrote. “Brown made 32 career starts with the Bulls. He is our fourth-highest-ranked transfer quarterback as a result. He averaged 268.5 passing yards in the matchups against Florida and Miami last season, but that's a small sample compared to what is to come in a full season in the SEC.”

Indeed, Brown has shown immense potential, but, as Bender put it, it is quite a small sample compared to the grueling nature of an SEC schedule. Gone are the days of facing FAU and Rice in conference play, replaced by Alabama and Georgia, who will certainly provide more of a challenge (no offense) than either of the Owls.

Brown has also received a lot of flak for his throwing motion, a notion that both he and Alex Golesh have been quick to dismiss over the past few weeks. On that subject, both player and coach seem to have the same message: wait and see. The Tigers kick off against Baylor in early September, which will be the real first taste of what Brown has to offer the program.

Soon after, on Sept. 19, the Tigers will open SEC play against the Florida Gators, a team that Brown, Golesh and the Bulls beat last year, 18-16. The Gators, quite like the Tigers, have replaced their head coach with Jon Sumrall, as well as reloaded their depth chart all over the field, so it will be a battle of two new-look teams that are looking to prove themselves to the league.

Even if Brown struggles, the Tigers are poised to have one of the more dominant running back rooms in recent memory, returning Jeremiah Cobb and bringing in Bryson Washington from Baylor for a deadly two-headed monster that could quickly turn into a hydra with Brown’s rushing ability.

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