‘Let’s Win a Natty:’ Why Byrum Brown is High on Auburn’s Team Chemistry

Byrum Brown has high expectations for his one season with the Auburn Tigers.

Byrum Brown has high expectations for his one season with the Auburn Tigers. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Byrum Brown is, without a doubt, the most anticipated piece of the Auburn Tigers for the 2026 season. Brown transferred in from USF to follow his coach, Alex Golesh, and Tiger fans have been on the edge of their seats as they wait to see what he has to offer the program.

In a recent interview with The College Sports Company, Brown talked about his initial impression of the Plains, as well as how the team is bonding as the preseason drags on.

“This whole place, they care about football,” he said. “That is something that you truly want to be a part of. My teammates, they care about football, they were very excited once we got to work, bonding with them, connecting with them in the locker room, all them embracing us transfers. They were open arms, and like, ‘let’s go to work. Let’s win a Natty.’”

The biggest takeaway for @byrumbrown17 since arriving at Auburn?

They LOVE football 🦅🔥

Powered by @usat pic.twitter.com/dhqf1Hngi8

— The College Sports Company (@CollegeSportsCo) May 21, 2026

In the modern landscape of college football, meshing new transfers with lifetime Auburn players can be a challenge, but Brown suggests that the implementation of the new group has not been all that much of a challenge, due to their like-minded nature towards Auburn football.

The Tigers brought in over 35 new pieces this year, returning the fewest total starters of any team in the SEC. After Hugh Freeze’s firing and the subsequent mass exodus of players he recruited, Golesh has been forced to step up and build a roster essentially from scratch, but he has done so quite well.

On offense alone, the Tigers brought in the aforementioned Brown at quarterback, Baylor transfer Bryson Washington to complement Jeremiah Cobb, a Tiger running back who is the only returning offensive starter from last season, a whole new suite of wide receivers and a freshly revamped offensive line.

No one really seems to know what to expect from the Tigers this season; some believe that Golesh will see significant growing pains in his first season with the Tigers, potentially culminating in a barely-bowl-eligible season at best, while others argue that Golesh’s new-look roster and coaching staff will be able to quickly adjust to the grueling SEC schedule they have been presented with and win at levels Freeze and his predecessor, Bryan Harsin, never could.

Either way, the Tigers have built a team that cares about two things above all else: football and each other. If this trend can continue throughout the rest of the preseason, the Tigers may just shock some people when the season begins in September.

Sign up for our free Auburn Tigers newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news!