AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — New Auburn coach Alex Golesh has plenty of familiar faces around for his debut season.
Dual-threat quarterback Byrum Brown followed Golesh to the Plains from South Florida and brought a big chunk of the Bulls’ high-powered offense with him.
Golesh signed 13 former USF players in total, including receivers Chas Nimrod, Keshaun Singleton, Jeremiah Koger and Christian Neptune. Throw in center Cole Best, tight end Jonathan Echols, running
back Nykahi Davenport and backup quarterback Locklan Hewlett, and there's reason to believe Golesh & Co. could have a smooth transition into the Southeastern Conference.
“Coach Golesh showed me his plan from Day 1 when he got to USF, and now he came here and wanted to build something again,” Brown said. “Coach Golesh has never done me wrong. I have full trust and faith in him. What we have building here, I’m excited for the whole country to see.”
Auburn will provide a glimpse of its revamped roster during the team’s spring game Saturday.
Brown will be the center of attention, naturally. He led all Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks with 42 total touchdowns last season and averaged 347.2 yards of offense a game. The 6-foot-3, 232-pound senior from Raleigh, North Carolina, completed 66.3% of his passes for 3,158 yards, with 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also led the Bulls with 1,008 yards rushing and 14 scores.
He became the 12th player in NCAA history with at least 3,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing yards in the same season, a prestigious list that includes Vince Young (Texas, 2005), Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M, 2012), Deshaun Watson (Clemson, 2015), Lamar Jackson (Louisville, 2016 and 2017), Kyler Murray (Oklahoma, 2018) and Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma, 2019).
“He’s tough as nails,” said offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Joel Gordon, who also followed Golesh to Auburn. “He’s full of grit. He’s a great competitor.”
Brown helped USF upset Boise State, Florida and then-No. 24 North Texas last season. He also gave Alabama a scare in 2023 before losing 17-3 in a game that was much closer until the final minute.
Brown accounted for 92 touchdowns over three years in Tampa and has given the Tigers hope that he will put an end to years of less-than-stellar QB play in Auburn. The Tigers totaled a league-low 11 TD passes last year and have finished last or next to last three of the last four seasons in passing offense.
USF, meanwhile, ranked in the top five in total offense in the American Conference each of the last three years. Auburn is counting on much of it to carry into the powerhouse SEC.
“Change is sometimes needed,” Brown said. “I felt like it was needed, to come to a university of this prestige and play SEC football and do it with a coach who’s had my back.”
Together, they should give Auburn a chance at a quick turnaround. The Tigers have endured five consecutive losing seasons and ranked 73rd or lower in total offense in four of those years.
“Trying to be the best offense in the country; that’s what we’re striving for,” Brown said. “We’re here to do big things and bring Auburn back to where it should be.”
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