Byrum Brown shares his definition of a successful Auburn football season

Auburn Tigers On SI · Jul 22, 2026 14:00 · 3 min read

Byrum Brown Shares His Definition of a Successful Auburn Football Season — Auburn Tigers quarterback Byrum Brown (17) speaks to the press during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at the Tampa Marriott. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Auburn quarterback will play his final season of college football in the SEC, and he knows what type of season he is looking for in 2026.

Amidst all the news about the Auburn Tigers, from transfers to recruiting to preseason narratives, one fact remains unchanged: the Tigers have not put together a winning season since 2020, a whole two coaches ago.

Alex Golesh, the latest head coach of the Tigers, is looking to change that, though his definition of success for 2026 is to build a foundation, not necessarily become a contender right away.

However, his quarterback, Byrum Brown, is in his final year of eligibility, meaning he will not be able to reap the benefits of the foundation his team sets in 2026. So, how does he define success in his first season in the SEC?

On Tuesday at SEC Media Days, Brown shared his thoughts on the topic.

“A successful season looks like taking each and every game, preparing to our absolute best and going out there and playing,” he said. “We don't control the outcome. We just control our process that leads to the outcome. Hopefully it's a favorable one, but it's just working each and every day, and that started in January. And it's continuing now, going to continue into fall camp. And we can't wait to strap it up in fall camp, strap it up for the first week against Baylor and go play.”

Not only is this a great mindset from Brown in terms of winning, but it is also an incredibly selfless one as, essentially, he is looking to provide as much of an impact as he can, both on the field as a player but also off the field as a leader, bolstering the foundation that Golesh has preached over the last few months.

That is not to say the Tigers are not expecting to win games– after all, that is what Golesh needs to do to stay employed–and they certainly have a great lineup to take on any team, in the SEC or anywhere else. Brown is at the center of it all offensively, in both the rushing game and the passing game, and he has proven to be a credible threat in just about any aspect on offense.

Brown passed for over 3,000 yards and rushed for over 1,000 yards last season at USF, a trend that he is surely looking to continue in the SEC. It won’t be easy, but he already has better help than he did last season, especially in the rushing game, which is bolstered by Auburn returner Jeremiah Cobb and Baylor transfer Bryson Washington.

So, though Brown is not necessarily focused on running the table in 2026, he is certainly committed to making sure he and his teammates enter each and every game at their peak, ready and waiting to take on any threat that comes their way.

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