Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown just landed on the preseason watchlist for the Manning Award, an honor sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl that immediately puts him among the top 40 signal-callers in college football for the 2026 season. Talk about starting off the year with a bang! This kind of recognition before even taking a snap for the Tigers screams high expectations, and Brown seems ready to meet them head-on.
The Transfer Talent Is Real, Folks
Let’s be real, this isn’t just some lucky guess. Brown earned this spot after absolutely tearing it up at South Florida last season. We’re talking 3,158 yards and 28 touchdowns, a stellar performance that clearly caught the eye of the Manning Award committee. It’s been a minute since an Auburn QB made this list, with Bo Nix being the last one back in 2021. So, for Brown to step in as a transfer and immediately get this kind of national recognition? That tells you everything you need to know about the talent Auburn just picked up.
The SEC Is Loaded, But Brown Stands Tall
Think the SEC is a cakewalk? Think again. Brown is one of eight quarterbacks from the conference to make this year’s watchlist. He’s in some serious company, too: Trinidad Chambliss from Ole Miss, Sam Leavitt at LSU, the hype machine that is Arch Manning from Texas, John Mateer for Oklahoma, Marcel Reed at Texas A&M, LaNorris Sellers from South Carolina, and Georgia’s own Gunner Stockton. To be mentioned in the same breath as that kind of talent? It means Brown is seen as a legit contender, and that’s huge for the Tigers’ season outlook.
The heat is on, but there’s a lot of football to be played. The midseason watchlist update drops on November 5, and the winner gets announced January 27, right after the College Football Playoff National Championship. Brown and the Tigers just wrapped up their fall camp, and they kick things off in a big way on September 5, facing Baylor in the Aflac Kickoff game in Atlanta, Georgia, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Get ready, because the spotlight is firmly on Auburn’s new QB!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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