In his four seasons at South Florida, Byrum Brown transformed the school from a one-win team to a contender. Once Brown was installed as the team’s full-time starter, USF complied a 23-16 record. The team even managed to get ranked for the first time since the 2018 season and finished 9-4 this season.
But after four years at USF, Brown is reportedly on his way out, per multiple reports. The senior, who has one year of eligibility left, will reportedly leave USF once the transfer portal opens Jan. 2.
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Brown, 21, appeared in just four games as a freshman, attempting only 50 passes as USF finished the year 1-11. The following year, Brown burst onto the scene, leading USF to a 7-6 record while breaking the school’s record for passing yards in a single season with 3,292. He threw 26 touchdowns and added 11 on the ground, emerging as one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation.
Brown returned to USF for his junior season, but was limited to just six games due to injury. His numbers took a hit, as he threw just two touchdowns — and rushed for three scores — in those contests.
He bounced back as a senior, passing for 3,158 yards and throwing 28 touchdowns against seven interceptions. Brown was once again a force on the ground, rushing for 1,008 yards and 14 touchdowns. His 42 total touchdowns led the entire nation this season. That performance also earned Brown Comeback Player of the Year honors.
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Brown’s excellence also propelled USF to its first season with at least nine wins since 2017. It didn’t take long for USF to gain national recognition, either. After two weeks, the team ranked No. 18 following a win over then-No. 13 Florida. USF briefly lost that ranking, but appeared in the top-25 four other weeks during the 2025 season.
That success, however, led to the departure of head coach Alex Golesh, who left to coach Auburn in November. Because of that, some have already wondered whether Brown will join his former coach with the Tigers. The team is in desperate need of offense, as Auburn’s quarterbacks combined for just 11 passing touchdowns in 2025. The Tigers scored 26.8 points per game, which ranked 74th in the nation.
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Given Brown’s excellence and historic season, he should draw plenty of interest on the market. As long as Brown isn’t intent on joining Golesh at Auburn, he should have plenty of teams to choose from once he officially hits the market.
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