USF football coach Alex Golesh was four months into the job when he declared last summer the biggest in Bulls history.
He was right.
An offseason of program-building fueled a 7-6 turnaround that justified the Bulls’ increased investments and helped land one of their best recruiting classes since the Big East days.
It also provided the proof of concept necessary to make even bigger proclamations about what’s next.
We’ll start with the quarterback at the center of it. Because if Golesh builds the Bulls into the elite program he says they can be, we’ll remember Byrum Brown as one of the most important figures in school history.
Brown’s on-field potential is obvious. Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels was the only other player last season to top 3,000 passing yards and 800 rushing yards. Dillon Gabriel (now at Oregon) and Liberty’s Kaidon Salter are the only returning players who accounted for more total touchdowns last season than Brown (37).
And that was in Brown’s first full season as a starter. Since then, he has added 20 pounds (he was 229 at last month’s AAC media days) to his 6-foot-3 frame while boosting his understanding of Golesh’s prolific offense from an introductory level to a 200- or 300-level.
“I think there’s really no ceiling there for Byrum,” Golesh said.
Whatever ceiling Golesh’s program has is significantly higher because Brown is a part of it. That shouldn’t be taken for granted in the transfer portal era.
The top-rated passer in the Mountain West (Jayden Maiava), MAC (Dequan Finn) and Sun Belt (Tampa native Jordan McCloud) all transferred this offseason. So did Conference USA player of the year Diego Pavia (New Mexico State to Vanderbilt) and Mountain West championship MVP Taylen Green (Boise State to Arkansas).
Though there was plenty of speculation about Brown’s possible power-conference options, he and Golesh never talked about it. Brown said he addressed the rumors with his family but didn’t really consider playing anywhere else.
“I ain’t have no reason to leave,” Brown said in a recent sit-down interview.
That statement says a lot about Brown — “his loyalties run deep,” teammate Ben Knox said — and his program. Not every mid-major can retain an established quarterback with his potential.
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Explore all your optionsAnd not every mid-major has the potential trajectory of the Bulls.
Brown’s upcoming third season comes at a fascinating, dizzying time across college sports. The Power Five conferences have become the Power Four, which is effectively split into the Power Two (SEC/Big Ten) and Tier Two (ACC/Big 12). The next wave of conference realignment will likely widen the gap, whether it’s caused by the Florida State/Clemson/ACC lawsuits or something else. The timeline is murky, but it’s coming.
Which means USF must do everything it can to get, as Golesh said on his first day, “to be as good as we can as fast as we can” to be ready when that next wave hits. A 10-win season won’t guarantee the Bulls a spot in a bigger conference. A new $340 million stadium won’t, either. But they’re crucial selling points if USF is going to be in the conversation for a call-up in future realignment scenarios.
A transcendent quarterback is, too.
UCF had one in McKenzie Milton. The two-time AAC offensive player of the year led the Knights to a perfect 2017 season.
Cincinnati had one in Desmond Ridder. The two-time AAC offensive player of the year helped the Bearcats break the playoff’s glass ceiling.
BYU had one in Zach Wilson. The 2021 NFL draft’s No. 2 overall pick led the Cougars to their best season this century.
Alex Smith at Utah. Andy Dalton at TCU. Teddy Bridgewater at Louisville. They all played an outsized role in elevating their programs to another level on the field and to another league in realignment.
It’s unfair to expect Brown to match their success or lead the Bulls to a bigger conference. But the possibility is there.
So is the pressure.
“Pressure means you’re doing something good,” Brown said.
Brown, clearly, has done that so far, and his impact is evident. Golesh’s staff has few ties to North Carolina, but the AAC’s top-ranked 2025 recruiting class has a pair of commits from there. Why? Because Brown is from Raleigh, and the football community back home has followed the rise of him and his team.
“Honestly, it all has to do with Byrum making a name for himself,” Golesh said.
And if Brown and the Bulls click the way they’re capable of, the name he has made will be remembered as one of the most important USF has ever known.
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