Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown is just days away from making his long-awaited debut in an Auburn uniform when the Tigers face the Baylor Bears on Saturday. The senior quarterback followed new head coach Alex Golesh from South Florida to Auburn and enters Week 1 as the Tigers’ starting quarterback.
Brown arrives on The Plains after an impressive 2025 campaign with the Bulls, where he established himself as one of the nation’s most productive dual-threat quarterbacks. He accounted for more than 4,000 yards of total offense and 42 touchdowns, giving Auburn plenty of reason to be excited about what he can bring to Golesh’s new-look offense.
The Tigers will open their season in the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, giving Brown his first opportunity to officially take the field wearing Auburn colors. With the matchup rapidly approaching, Rivals and On3 Sports’ Bryan Matthews shared Brown’s message on X as the quarterback prepares for the moment he has been waiting for.
“Can’t wait to just go and do it in Auburn colors.”
Brown spent the previous four seasons at South Florida, where he continued to develop into a dynamic playmaker both through the air and on the ground. In 2025, he completed 66.3% of his passes for 3,158 yards, 28 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.
His production on the ground made his season even more impressive. Brown rushed for 1,008 yards and 14 touchdowns, finishing with 4,166 total yards and 42 combined scores. That performance made him just the 12th FBS player ever to reach 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in the same season.
Brown’s standout campaign earned him second-team All-AAC honors and helped solidify his reputation as a proven playmaker heading into Auburn’s coaching transition.
He entered the transfer portal on Dec. 22 before announcing his commitment to Auburn on Jan. 6. The move brought him back together with Golesh while also reuniting him with offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joel Gordon. Their familiarity with one another and the offensive system could give Brown an important advantage as Auburn begins a new era.
Saturday will also be Brown’s first live-game action since he opted out of South Florida’s Cure Bowl matchup against Old Dominion in December.
Auburn and Baylor will meet at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with the Tigers looking to build on last season’s 38-24 victory over the Bears. Baylor will counter with former Florida quarterback DJ Lagway leading its offense, setting the stage for an intriguing Week 1 matchup.
For Auburn, however, much of the attention will be centered on Brown. After following Golesh to the Tigers and taking control of the starting quarterback job, he finally has the chance to show what he can do in Auburn colors.