College Football HQ

4,000-yard college football QB shares farewell note after entering transfer portal

Rowan Fisher Shotton|
Tampa, Florida, USA; South Florida Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown (17) catches a ball during warmups before the game against the Florida Atlantic Owls at Raymond James Stadium.
Tampa, Florida, USA; South Florida Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown (17) catches a ball during warmups before the game against the Florida Atlantic Owls at Raymond James Stadium. | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

In this story:

South Florida Bulls

USF finished the 2025 season 9–4 overall and 6–2 in conference play, going undefeated (6–0) at home and clinching a spot in the StaffDNA Cure Bowl, where it lost 24–10 to Old Dominion.

The Bulls’ season included signature wins over Boise State (34–7) and an upset of No. 13 Florida (18–16), with the program closing the year as a rising Group/Power-Group contender under head coach Alex Golesh before his departure to Auburn.

The Bulls’ season included signature wins over Boise State (34–7) and an upset at No. 13 Florida (18–16), with the team finishing the year as a rising Group/Power-Group program under Alex Golesh before his departure to Auburn.

In 2025, senior quarterback Byrum Brown totaled 4,166 yards and 42 touchdowns, throwing for 3,158 yards with 28 passing scores, seven interceptions, and a 167.1 passer rating while adding 1,008 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns.

On Monday, Brown posted a formal farewell message on social media, saying that, after prayer and reflection, he would enter the transfer portal, thanking coaches, staff, teammates, and the Tampa Bay community, and calling USF "home." 

The transfer window officially opens on January 2, 2026. 

Over four seasons at USF, Brown accumulated multiple program records and career totals in the high end for a modern dual-threat QB, totaling 7,690 passing yards and 61 passing TDs, plus 2,265 rushing yards and 31 rushing TDs. 

In 2025, he became just the fourth FBS player in the past 30 years to record at least 2,800 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns, and 900 rushing yards through 11 games in a season, joining now-NFL stars Jayden Daniels (2023), Jalen Hurts (2019), and Lamar Jackson (2016).

Before arriving at USF, Brown was a three-star quarterback from Rolesville (Rolesville, NC) and a top-75 QB in the 2022 class, drawing nearly a dozen scholarship offers from programs including Appalachian State, Georgia State, Miami (OH), and Old Dominion.

South Florida Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown.
Tampa, Florida, USA; South Florida Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown (17) runs the ball in for a touchdown against the UTSA Roadrunners during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Since his announcement, several outlets have connected Brown to Power-Five and major Group-of-Five suitors, including Auburn, citing a potential reunion with now-Auburn head coach Alex Golesh.

Broader speculation has also included other major SEC, ACC, and Big Ten programs, such as Florida, LSU, Tennessee, North Carolina, Miami, and Indiana.

Read More at College Football HQ

Published
Rowan Fisher
ROWAN FISHER SHOTTON

Rowan Fisher-Shotton is a versatile journalist known for sharp analysis, player-driven storytelling, and quick-turn coverage across CFB, CBB, the NBA, WNBA, and NFL. A Wilfrid Laurier alum and lifelong athlete, he’s written for FanSided, Pro Football Network, Athlon Sports, and Newsweek, tackling every beat with both a reporter’s edge and a player’s eye.

Home/Transfer Portal