One unnamed coach who faced Byrum Brown during his time at USF isn’t convinced Auburn’s starting quarterback has what it takes to become a first-round NFL Draft pick. The coach offered no specific reasoning for the assessment but insisted he wasn’t simply criticizing Brown out of bias.
Still, the comment certainly comes across as harsh.
“I’m not one of these Byrum Brown haters, but I’m also not one of these guys who thinks he’s a first-round [NFL draft] pick, either,” the coach told ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg. “He’s all right. I’m not enamored with the guy.”
Whether that coach defeated Brown or suffered a loss against him during their time in the same conference remains unknown. What is clear is that the anonymous evaluation has added another layer to the conversation surrounding Brown as he enters his first season at Auburn.
Brown is coming off a strong 2025 campaign at USF, where he accounted for 42 total touchdowns and averaged 347.2 yards of offense per game. ESPN also highlighted his production as a major reason he could be central to Auburn’s offensive turnaround under Alex Golesh.
For now, Brown will have the opportunity to answer the criticism on the field.
What are the main knocks on Byrum Brown?
As ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg noted, some coaches remain concerned about how Byrum Brown will handle the jump to SEC competition, while his completion percentage has also drawn scrutiny.
However, the transition may not be as dramatic as some expect. With the transfer portal reshaping college football, the gap between Group of 5 and Power 4 competition has become less straightforward. USF regularly faced talented defensive players, meaning Brown has already seen plenty of high-level athletes during his college career.
The concern over his accuracy also deserves some context. Brown completed 66.3% of his passes for 3,158 yards, 28 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions in 2025, while also rushing for 1,008 yards and 14 touchdowns. His numbers were produced in an aggressive, up-tempo offense designed to put constant pressure on opposing defenses.
Now that Brown is reunited with Alex Golesh at Auburn, the expectation is that the same system can translate to the SEC. The Tigers have invested heavily in bringing pieces of Golesh’s USF offense to Auburn, giving Brown familiar surroundings as he takes on the biggest challenge of his career.
Ultimately, Brown won’t have to answer the critics with words. His performance at Auburn will determine whether the concerns about his SEC transition and NFL potential were justified.
Alex Golesh believes Byrum Brown has only improved
Alex Golesh is hardly the type of coach who would overlook shortcomings from his starting quarterback, which makes his continued support of Byrum Brown particularly notable. Golesh has been with Brown since the quarterback’s second collegiate season and has had him as his QB1 throughout his entire head-coaching tenure at USF and now Auburn.
Golesh believes Brown has made significant progress every year, particularly as a passer, leader and decision-maker. The next challenge, he says, is helping Brown process defenses even faster as he adjusts to SEC football.
“He’s improved every year,” Golesh told ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg. “He’s gotten better as a passer, he’s gotten better as a leader, he’s gotten better with his decision-making. The next step is just to take one more step, decision-making, understanding of defenses.”
Golesh acknowledged that the SEC moves at a different speed, but Brown has already experienced high-level competition against teams such as Alabama, Florida and Miami. More importantly, the quarterback appears eager to embrace the challenge rather than shy away from it.
That mentality could make 2026 a defining season for Brown. If he can lead Golesh and offensive coordinator Joel Gordon’s first Auburn offense to consistent production and potentially a winning record, his NFL stock could rise considerably heading into the 2027 draft.
There is also a compelling storyline surrounding Brown. A successful season could help reignite Auburn football and turn him into one of the most intriguing quarterback prospects in the country. Doing so behind a rebuilt offensive line that enters the season with plenty of questions would only strengthen his case.
For now, the next step is simple: Brown has to prove that his experience with Golesh can translate to the SEC stage.
