Major SEC program lands college football’s ‘best fit’ out of the transfer portal

Under Alex Golesh, South Florida completed a breakthrough 2025 campaign, posting a 9–4 overall record and a 6–2 conference mark while installing Golesh’s offense and getting major production from senior quarterback Byrum Brown.

USF’s rapid improvement was a primary reason Golesh drew Auburn’s interest, as the Tigers hired him as the program’s next head coach in November, signing him to a six-year, $44.4 million deal.

Brown subsequently entered the transfer portal and committed to Auburn after Golesh accepted the head-coaching job, following his former coach from Tampa to The Plains.

Brown originally signed with South Florida out of Rolesville (N.C.) High School as a 2022 class recruit, where he was ranked the No. 73 quarterback and the No. 29 overall player from North Carolina in the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Over four seasons at USF, Brown compiled 7,690 passing yards with 61 passing touchdowns and added 2,265 rushing yards with 31 rushing touchdowns, production highlighted by a breakout 2025 campaign.

In 12 games during the 2025 season, Brown totaled 3,158 passing yards, 28 passing touchdowns, seven interceptions, and 1,008 rushing yards with 14 rushing touchdowns, making him the only FBS quarterback in 2025 to eclipse both 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards.

As a result of his production, success in Golesh’s system, and the opportunity to reunite with his former coach, ESPN’s Tom Luginbill named Brown’s move to Auburn the top “best fit” transfer on Wednesday.

"Brown reunites with new Auburn coach Alex Golesh after the duo was among the most prolific quarterback-coach pairings in the Group of 5 over the past two years. Brown knows Golesh's offense, giving the Tigers a critical head start as they install a new system with plenty of unfamiliar faces," Luginbill wrote.

"His pocket awareness has really progressed, and physically, he has SEC arm talent with the dynamic skill set to put up big numbers for the Tigers. His familiarity with the scheme's terminology should allow him to function as an extension of the coaching staff in meeting rooms to accelerate Auburn's offensive transition."

Auburn Tigers football head coach Alex Golesh. — 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

Golesh built his resume as an offensive coordinator and position coach at stops including Iowa State, UCF, and Tennessee before taking the USF head-coaching job and turning the program around, compiling a 23–15 record over three seasons.

The appeal of the pairing is straightforward: Brown is already fluent in Golesh’s terminology, cadence, and play-design priorities, which shortens the install period for a new staff at Auburn and gives Golesh a proven starter to anchor the offense from day one rather than starting over at quarterback.

Auburn struggled in 2025, finishing 5–7 overall and 1–7 in SEC play, and fired head coach Hugh Freeze on November 2, with former defensive coordinator and linebackers coach D.J. Durkin serving as interim coach for the remainder of the season before Golesh’s hire.

The program now enters 2026 in a reset, featuring a new head coach, an influx of transfers from USF, including Brown, and the roster turnover typical of a coaching change.

While the SEC remains deep, the belief is that Golesh’s offensive system and his continuity with Brown can help lift Auburn’s subpar passing production from 2025 and provide a more competitive foundation moving into 2026.

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