South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown has found a rare middle ground in his postseason plans. While the Bulls’ star will not play in the Cure Bowl, he will still be on the sideline, this time as an assistant coach.
Brown, who delivered breakout seasons in 2023 and 2025, elected to sit out the matchup as he weighs a complicated postseason decision.
The junior retains another year of eligibility and is evaluating whether to return to USF, declare for the NFL Draft or potentially follow former head coach Alex Golesh to Auburn. Injuries limited Brown in 2024, but his production across two healthy campaigns has drawn significant interest from scouts.
Bulls Nation, we wanted to share that Coach Hartline and I continue to have great conversations with Byrum Brown and his family about his future at USF. In the spirit of transparency and based off the recent coaching transition here, we mutually determined with Byrum that it’s…
— Rob Higgins (@RHiggins_USF) December 10, 2025
Despite stepping away from the field, Brown has remained fully involved with the program. He continues to attend every practice and team activity. His commitment led the program to ask him to serve in a coaching role for the bowl game. He'll help Gaston Moore prepare for his first start.
Brown powered USF’s resurgence this fall, leading upset wins over ranked Boise State and Florida teams to spark early Heisman chatter. He finished the season with 3,158 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and more than 1,000 rushing yards.
While his future remains undecided, Brown will give the Bulls at least one more contribution this season. Having a new coach in Brian Hartline, who is known for his offensive abilities, coming into the fold will make for a difficult decision.
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