Auburn made Byrum Brown the centerpiece of its quarterback pursuit as soon as the transfer portal opened in January, and the price tag matched the urgency.
Brown, who started all three of his seasons under Alex Golesh at South Florida, arrived at Auburn shortly after the portal window opened and is now set to be one of the biggest earners in the sport. According to On3, the senior quarterback will make “roughly $3 million” this season.
That figure places Brown among the highest-paid quarterbacks in college football, even if a few other transfer passers are set to clear him. On3 reported that Miami’s Darian Mensah is expected to make more than $6 million this season, incentives included. Mensah entered the portal on the final day of the window.
His move sparked a legal fight with his former school after he initially signed a two-year contract with Duke. The matter was eventually settled, clearing the way for his transfer to Miami.
On3 also reported that Oregon’s Dante Moore, Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss, LSU’s Sam Leavitt, Indiana’s Josh Hoover, Washington’s Demond Williams and others are projected to make more than $4 million this season. Brown’s deal still puts him in rare company, underscoring how aggressively Auburn went after a quarterback it believed could run the offense right away.
Brown arrives with a strong resume from his time at South Florida, where he was Golesh’s starter for all three seasons and led the nation in total yards per game last season.
In Other News...
SEC Just Drew A New Line In Future Alabama Roster Fights
The SEC drew a hard new line this week in the roster battles that can shape college football recruiting, eligibility, and second-chance pathways. By unanimous vote of its presidents, chancellors and athletics directors, the league approved a policy that bars member schools from carrying former NFL, NBA or WNBA players on their rosters, a move that now puts the conference in step with the Big Ten on former NFL players returning to college ranks.
For Auburn and the rest of the league, the policy gives commissioner Greg Sankey broad power to enforce it, including suspensions, and it reaches beyond players who actually suited up professionally to those who signed with pro teams or were listed on pro rosters. The timing matters because roster rules have become another front in SEC competition, and the new standard leaves little ambiguity about where the conference wants the line to be drawn, even as the broader ripple effects around eligibility and roster construction are still being sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Added A Transfer Back With Everything To Prove In A Crowded Race
Auburns backfield just got a little more crowded, and that was the point. Alex Golesh added Troy transfer Tae Meadows to the 2026 roster through the portal, bringing in a back who arrives with a fresh rsum and plenty of reason to believe he can push for a role right away. Meadows was Troys leading rusher in 2025, and his track record of strong performances goes back to high school.
For Auburn, the move adds another layer to a running back room that already figures to be a real competition heading into the upcoming season. For Meadows, it creates the sort of proving ground he seems ready to embrace. He is arriving with production behind him, but not with anything guaranteed, which is exactly what makes this addition worth watching as spring and summer work begins to sort out who actually climbs the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn's Leading Scorer Picked His Next Team Amid Eligibility Fight
Keyshawn Halls path beyond Auburn has already taken a significant turn, even if the legal ground beneath it keeps shifting. One of the Tigers leading scorers in 2025 has committed to St. Johns for the 2026 season, setting up his next move while he continues to fight for another year of college eligibility.
Hall had initially been granted the extra season through a preliminary injunction before the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals later sided with the NCAA by granting a stay, leaving him ineligible for now. Hall and his attorney are still pursuing additional legal options, and his future with St. Johns hinges on whether that battle opens the door for him to play there this season. [Read more 🡒]