Former Alex Golesh Tight End Explains Why He Didn’t Transfer to Auburn

A USF player has played with Alex Golesh over the previous few seasons. However, when he headed to the Plains, he had a reason why he didn't follow him.

South Florida Bulls tight end Wyatt Sullivan (8) decided to stay with his program instead of going to Auburn with Alex Golesh. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Auburn Tigers, particularly on offense, are set to make use of a plurality of transfers from their new head coach, Alex Golesh’s, old program, the USF Bulls.

For many players, like quarterback Byrum Brown, transferring to Auburn was a no-brainer, though not every 2025 Bull made the trip to the Plains.

One such holdout, tight end Wyatt Sullivan, told Joe Henderson of Green, Gold & Bold that, in fact, staying with USF was the no-brainer in his career.

“I was familiar with how he [new USF head coach Brian Hartline] used [tight ends] at Ohio State, so [staying] was a no-brainer,” he said. “It's my last year and I want to have the best senior year possible.”

Sullivan, who caught 18 passes from Byrum Brown for 176 yards and two touchdowns during the Bulls’ 2025 campaign, declined to answer as to whether or not the new Tigers, his former teammates, attempted to sway his decision to the Plains, but he was clear that his decision had nothing to do with his relationships with the group or his head coach.

“You know, those are some of my guys. I still talk to those guys all the time," he said. “I just talked with Byrum when he was in Tampa [for SEC Media Days]. “Those are gonna always be my brothers, but this is where I knew I needed to be.”

Golesh did not leave South Florida empty-handed in the tight end category, though, as Jonathan Echols, a former four-star prospect, joined his head coach in the switch to Auburn. Last season, the IMG Academy graduate hauled in nine passes for 109 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 12.1 yards per reception.

Echols and senior UNC transfer Jake Johnson are expected to carry the brunt of the Tigers’ tight end workload in 2026, though Johnson is likely to receive more playing time since he is a highly experienced redshirt senior with both SEC and ACC experience, while Echols is a true junior headed into the 2026 season.

Johnson emerged as a top target for Texas A&M in his sophomore season in 2023, before transferring to UNC, where he had a bit of a quiet junior year before finding his stride once again the following season. Between him and Echols, the Tigers should be well-positioned at the tight end position this season.

Most likely, Sullivan, a senior, foresaw a future in which he did not receive many tight end reps at Auburn, which already had the combination of Echols and Johnson, while a tight-end-heavy offensive coordinator was set to become the Bulls’ new head coach. Sullivan’s decision does not necessarily reflect poorly on Golesh; rather, the senior simply made a decision that would result in the safest possible outcome for him in terms of reps.

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