ESPN, Coaches, GMs Weigh In On Auburn Tigers' Top New Arrival

The Auburn Tigers are in the midst of an unprecedented string of poor seasons. They've lost seven games in five straight seasons. The last time they had as many as 35 losses across a five-year span was 50 years ago.

In the transfer portal era, a quick turnaround is more feasible than it was previously, and Auburn is hoping new coach Alex Golesh and his whopping 39 incoming transfers (ranked 13th in the nation by 247Sports) are able to do just that.

There should be a measure of familiarity for the newcomers, because 13 of the 39 played for Golesh at USF last season. The Auburn Family is hoping the top newcomer to The Plains this season is Golesh himself, after watching a woefully unprepared Bryan Harsin set the program back a half-decade and then a comedy of errors by Hugh Freeze.

But ESPN recently polled several coaches and executives around the SEC about who would be the biggest impact newcomer for each team, and it was no surprise they picked quarterback Byrum Brown for Auburn.

Brown followed Golesh from USF and brings both talent and experience to a position desperately in need of both. He completed 66.3% of his passes last season for 3,158 yards, 28 touchdowns, and only 7 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,008 yards and 14 scores.

Against Florida last year, he was 23 of 36 passing (63.9%) for 263 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. He added 66 yards on the ground.

"Brown is set to immediately elevate Auburn's offense to new heights. He will have built-in chemistry with his receivers and invaluable experience in the offensive system," Billy Tucker wrote on ESPN after surveying personnel across the SEC.

"We project to see progression as a passer and a runner, where he developed physically to add more size and strength to break tackles. This blend of leadership, rare dual-threat talent, and deep scheme familiarity makes Brown essential for transforming Auburn into a consistent, high-powered offense and a contender in 2026."

Music to the ears of Auburn fans after suffering through, at best, mediocre quarterback play since Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham manned the position.

For his part, the only promise Brown is making is to leave it all on the field.

“You're gonna get everything,” Brown told Auburn legend Takeo Spikes in an interview. “Every single game. Whether I gotta run, whether I gotta throw, I’m gonna do whatever it takes to win. That’s just who I am as a quarterback, who I am as a teammate… You're gonna get everything out of me.

“Not saying it’s gonna be an easy feat at all,” Brown said, “but [I want to help] bring Auburn back to what it should be. Plan on winning every single game, win the SEC Championship, win the [College Football Playoff], to really bring Auburn back to where it should be.”

The good news for Brown is that the bar has been set so low by previous iterations of the Tigers that it won't be hard to improve the position. But just because Auburn hasn't won recently, it doesn't mean expectations have changed on The Plains.

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