4,000-yard QB linked to two major college football programs in transfer portal

Annapolis, Maryland, USA; South Florida Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown (17) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Navy Midshipmen during the second half at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Navy Midshipmen defeated South Florida Bulls 41-28. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown closed the 2025 campaign as one of the nation’s most productive dual-threat signal callers, finishing with 3,158 passing yards, 28 passing touchdowns, and seven interceptions, while adding 1,008 rushing yards and 14 rushing scores on the ground, along with a 66.3% completion rate.

Those numbers placed him among the FBS leaders in efficiency and total offense and helped South Florida rank third nationally in total yards per game (488.7) and fifth in scoring offense (40.5 points per game).

Brown spent all four seasons at South Florida, including a redshirt year, and emerged as the centerpiece of Alex Golesh’s up-tempo offense.

Over his USF career, he appeared in 35 games and accounted for 7,690 passing yards, 2,265 rushing yards, and 93 total touchdowns (61 passing, 31 rushing, one receiving).

A native of Rolesville, North Carolina, Brown was a three-star prospect and the No. 73-ranked quarterback in the 247Sports Composite for the 2022 class, choosing South Florida over offers from Appalachian State, Georgia State, Miami (Ohio), and Old Dominion.

Brown later announced his intention to test the transfer market following the 2025 season, a move widely speculated to be influenced by roster and coaching changes, most notably Golesh’s move to Auburn, with just one year of eligibility remaining.

With the portal set to open at midnight, On3’s Pete Nakos and Steve Wiltfong flagged Brown as one of the top transfer quarterbacks to monitor, with early reporting pointing to Auburn as a logical reunion destination following Golesh’s move there, while Texas Tech has also emerged as a potential landing spot after its College Football Playoff run.

Auburn Tigers football head coach Alex Golesh speaks during a press conference at Woltosz Performance Center in Auburn, Alabama. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Brown’s existing relationship with Golesh would provide immediate scheme fit and continuity if he chose Auburn.

Golesh’s offense has historically elevated dual-threat quarterbacks, offering Brown a direct path to SEC exposure and an opportunity to showcase NFL-caliber production in a Power Conference setting.

Texas Tech, meanwhile, needs an experienced, high-volume passer to stabilize an offense set to lose starter Behren Morton, within a system capable of producing big passing numbers in the Big 12.

Brown’s combination of passing efficiency and rushing upside fits that profile and could position him as an immediate starter.

In either scenario, both programs would offer Brown greater national exposure and a stronger supporting cast than he had at South Florida.

The January transfer window runs from January 2 through January 16, a period when coaches can begin contact, making increased recruiting activity and official visits likely in the coming days.

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