In most ways that someone can think of, the 2026 season is very new for the Auburn Tigers as they continue on in their preseason camp.
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For some within the program though, it is more of getting back to business, which is what could be said as the case for quarterback Byrum Brown.
Following the media viewing period on the second day of camp, Brown took a moment to speak on his evaluation of the first bits of action for the team, feeling positively about where the Tigers are at early on.
“We’ve had a really good two days,” Brown said. “We came back off of our little break that we had rocking and rolling, clicking. Obviously there’s things to clean up, but I’m super happy with where we’re at right now.”
One of the things that Brown has had experience with having played under Alex Golesh at USF is staying at a remote site for the duration of preseason camp. It’s something that the new head coach has now installed on the Plains, as the team is being housed in Opelika.
Having the chance to focus on nothing but football and growing closer together as a team, it’s a feeling that Brown enjoys and is an action that he is already noticing is having a positive impact.
“It brings the guys together,” Brown said. “When you’re in camp, you’re in that hotel, you’re riding the bus together, you’re riding the bus back, on off days you’re in the hotel, you’re just going to each other’s room playing cards… This group is really special and I’m super blessed and happy to be a part of it.”
The performance of his teammates though is where Brown is seeing a lot of positives.
In the tight end room, Golesh touched on the mix of backgrounds that the team has, whether it be the experience of Jake Johnson or Arlis Boardingham, or the youth and variety of Jonathan Echols, Hunter Ousley and Xavier Newsom.
Having that many weapons at that specific position group is a highlight for Brown, who enjoys how they can plug different guys in for different scenarios and still be on the same page.
“I enjoy that a lot,” Brown said. “You can plug and play and not miss a beat. Guys get tired, a lot of them can do a lot of the same things, some have different skillsets than others, but knowing their skillsets, knowing what they do best and getting on that same page especially right now in camp with all of them healthy, I’m super happy with where we’re at.”
The offensive line is also a place where Brown feels like the offense is not missing a beat with how tight the bond is between each player.
There’s development that the quarterback knows will take time to perfect, but he notices the true dedication they have to their craft.
“It’s amazing,” Brown said. “All of them are communicating on the o-line, you can see it before the play’s happening. After that, they’re coming up to me ‘How was the protection? How was everything? Everything is good.’ They want to protect me, they want to get this offense going because they’re the main catalyst. They start it. Without them, we’re nothing, so they’re coming along just fine.”
One of the guys that is standing out among the front is center Cole Best, who Brown played with at USF and is talked about as a true leader who plays by example, molding the offensive line together.
“He takes care of everything, left, right, got the guys on one accord,” Brown said. “He’s the same guy every day. He’s not going to do anything that he wouldn’t do himself, say anything that he wouldn’t do himself. He’s been tremendous for that o-line group.”
The front has had some concerns though with the news of Tai Buster’s injury, causing him to miss at least the first half of the season. Despite that, Auburn is rolling a couple of guys back in between Jacob Strand and Stanton Ramil.
Brown’s early fall impression of the duo is positive, as he sees that their hard work is coming to be a big benefit.
“They’ve been really good,” Brown said. “You can see that their hard work and dedication in the film room is translating out onto the field. It’s super good to see that. They’re going to keep chipping away and getting better every single day.”
With the fast pace of play that the Tigers like to run and so many new guys to teach it to, there are many mistakes that can easily come with that.
Even with the mix of offensive line background though, Brown feels the unit is in a good spot.
“You’ve got to know it like the back of your hand because we are going so fast. (You have to) know little intricate details within the system. They’ve done a tremendous job. They’ve got Cole Best, who’s been in it for three years as well so he’s helping them out a ton . They’re really leaning into that.”
With the full installation of the offense between the spring and summer, Auburn has come into this preseason camp ready to go full speed, not having to learn many new things as the countdown to kickoff continues.
It’s a welcome sight that Brown has seen, but with the complete package set in, the quarterback feels the mentality of the offense is in a solid spot, as the players can simply rep and perfect their operations from here on out.
“Everyone is on the same page,” Brown said. “We came into fall camp ready to roll, that’s why the first day and today were really good. Obviously some things to clean up, but from spring practice one to fall camp practice one, you can see a huge difference in the offense.”
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
