Brown hopes to add his name to Auburn transfer quarterback glory
“We just want Auburn to be its best and want to leave it better than we found it and that's the plan, bring Auburn back to where it should be.” This is what quarterback, Byrum Brown, had to say at SEC Media days when he was asked about transferring to Auburn. Since Bo Nix transferred out of the program at the end of the 2021 season, the Tigers have relied heavily on quarterbacks from the transfer portal. The following year, Auburn signed TJ Finley from LSU and Robby Ashford from Oregon. The duo combined to throw eight touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
In 2023, Auburn brought in Payton Thorne from Michigan State. In his first year, Thorne threw for 1,755 yards and 16 TDs. He had a better year, stat wise, in 2024 throwing for 2,713 yards and 21 touchdowns. Last year, the Tigers turned to Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold and Stanford transfer Ashton Daniels. Together, they threw for 2,106 yards, 9 touchdowns and four interceptions. While these numbers may not look terribly bad on paper, Auburn has not seen their win total reflect the amount of financial investment they have made in the quarterback position. Since 2021, Auburn has won 21 games and lost 28. Over that same span, their conference record is a jarring 8-24.
Despite this recent trend, Auburn has enjoyed enormous success behind the leadership of transfer signal callers. There have been three transfer quarterbacks that were responsible for three of the four best years in Auburn football this century. In 2017, Jarrett Stidham led Auburn to the SEC Title game and victories over then #1’s Georgia and Alabama. Four years earlier, Nick Marshall led a 3-9 redemption team to a 12-2 record, an SEC championship and a berth in the BCS title game. And who can forget 2010. Cam Newton strolled onto campus and led Auburn to the 2010 SEC and National championship, as well as capturing the program’s third Heisman Trophy.
At SEC Media days, Brown was asked about a successful season. He responded saying, “A successful season looks like taking each and every game, preparing to our absolute best, and going out there and playing. And we don't control the outcome. We just control our process that leads to the outcome.” Despite the last five forgettable seasons, history does show that Auburn can succeed with the right first-year transfer quarterback.
Brown has some factors working for him that his immediate predecessors did not have. He will be playing for the same head coach, the same offensive coaching staff, and largely be throwing the ball to the same receivers he played with at USF. When asked about the receiver room, Brown said, “It's the one cohesive unit too. Like it's not just one guy. It's more than one. So they're bringing others along with it. And that's been that connection and that trust piece.” Brown added these comments about Head Coach Alex Golesh, “He's the same guy every day. He demands the absolute very best out of everyone that he comes in contact with, cares for his players deeply, coaches deeply.”
Brown and the Tigers are getting ready for fall camp. After those 25 practices, the Tigers will travel to Atlanta to play the Baylor Bears inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 5th. “So can't really can't just can't wait to play at Auburn.” Brown concluded. Auburn fans are hoping he will find some of the same magic that Newton, Marshall, and Stidham found in their first year on the plains.
