It seems implausible that Byrum Brown will end up anywhere but at Auburn after he decided to enter the transfer portal on Monday. The three-year starter at USF under new Auburn head coach Alex Golesh, Brown is about to get paid, and paid handsomely, by the Tigers to come in and finally, hopefully, fix what has ailed Auburn for several years now: quarterback play.
It’s a smart, but risky move by Golesh. He inherited a 5-star uber-talent in Deuce Knight, who, in his one game as the starter, albeit against a FCS team, dazzled and showed signs that he was ready to be the man for the Tigers in 2026. And, it seemed that Ashton Daniels, who took over the starting position from Jackson Arnold at the end of the season, would be the favorite to start the 2026 season.
Now, Daniels is entering the transfer portal, and all signs point toward a reunion between Golesh and Brown.
If, and when, that happens, it’s a signal that Golesh isn’t about taking time to rebuild, but is focused on winning now. When Hugh Freeze took over three years ago, he preached patience as he inherited a roster devoid of SEC-level talent. That’s not precisely the case with the 41-year-old Golesh, who knows that in the days of NIL and the transfer portal, winning big and winning immediately aren’t mutually exclusive.
Alex Golesh has a blueprint for immediate success
Take a look at those in the College Football Playoff. While you have the usual teams, such as Georgia and Ohio State, and the likes of Indiana and Texas A&M, two teams with coaches in their second seasons, were built into national title contenders extremely quickly.
But bringing in Brown is a Catch-22, as you have to wonder what Knight's reaction will be. After sitting out most of 2025 with thoughts of becoming the guy in 2026, would he be content to sit and learn for another year? Or is Golesh sacrificing the future for one year of Brown behind center?
It’s a tough call as Auburn fans are begging to see a winning product on the field after five frustrating (and losing) seasons.
These types of decisions are why Golesh and his colleagues are paid big money, and to pull it off without sacrificing the present or the future would be massive for the first-year coach. It’s a balancing act that he must somehow perform without dropping the ball. Good luck to him.