The reunion between Alex Golesh and Byrum Brown was supposed to solidify Auburn’s offense. After Saturday’s A-Day scrimmage, it’s become the coaching staff’s biggest headache, as per Josh Pate.
“Byrum Brown didn’t look good at all,” said Josh Pate on the April 19 episode of his podcast. “That’s the bad news. The good news is this really wasn’t a football game, especially with his skill set, because they didn’t use his legs, and you weren’t allowed to hit him. And so when you rip away that part of Byron Brown’s game, I don’t think there was any scenario where he looked good yesterday.”
Over his USF career, Brown posted impressive numbers. He accumulated a total of 2,265 passing yards and 31 touchdowns. However, during the spring game, Auburn’s potential QB1 managed just 85 yards on seven out of 14 completions. To make matters worse, he was picked twice during his stay in the game.
Auburn had to revamp the entire QB room for the 2026 season, as Jackson Arnold left for UNLV, Ashton Daniels joined Florida, and Deuce Knight became an Ole Miss Rebel. In that situation, Alex Golesh getting his former quarterback, Byrum Brown, was important for the program. And despite earning high marks throughout earlier practices, Brown’s performance during the A-Day showcase left Golesh visibly underwhelmed by his quarterback’s execution.
“I didn’t think Byrum saw it great today,” Golesh said to reporters after the workout at Jordan-Hare Stadium. “Where his game has come in the last 15 practices, he was efficient in what he had to do, but he didn’t see it great today… Mentally, he was fine. Composure, he was fine. Didn’t see it well.”
While the offense looked productive in spurts, with six of nine long drives resulting in points, the underlying numbers told a less impressive story, averaging just 5.2 yards per play and a dismal 2.9 yards per carry. In his analysis of the game, Josh Pate highlighted the similarities with Golesh’s USF offense.
“They used a whole lot of tempo. That’s really what stood out the most,” Pate said. “If you go back and you’re watching this, they’re going to use that heavily. You kind of know what you’re getting because they got a bunch of South Florida imports on the offensive side. So, it’s not like a bunch of guys learning a new system there. But the overall talent roster there, there’s some mixed feelings on this. When I asked around the league, I feel like it’s a second-tier talent roster.”
Auburn’s receiving corps was weakened when Cam Coleman transferred to Texas and Perry Thompson left for Minnesota. And while Golesh brought in Christian Nepture from USF and Jake Johnson from UNC, it looks lighter on paper compared to last year. Even at other positions, offensive coordinator Joel Gordon and Co-OC Kodi Burns will have to make use of multiple freshmen as depth pieces.
But it wasn’t all bad. Josh Pate liked what he saw from Oregon State transfer Tristan Ti’a. “Tristan Tia played yesterday and looked really good, and he’s a guy to circle. It really makes you feel good about the quarterback position in the future at Auburn,” said Pate.
Younger Auburn QB Tristan Ti’a is keeping the offense strong
The new transfer from Oregon State, Tristan Ti’a, was the emerging star of the annual scrimmage and has garnered a lot of praise. He got the second-team start under center and did not disappoint. He finished 15-of-20 for 179 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception.
“Tristan Tia is my A-Day Offensive MVP. He made several great throws and looked sharp in most aspects of the passing game. If he’s the presumed QB2, I would feel good at this point that Auburn has a VERY capable backup,” Mike Gittens said.
Ti’a brings game experience from Oregon State, where he appeared in 3 games and made 1 start, finishing the 2025 season with 385 yards and 3 touchdowns. His potential was on full display against Tulsa, where he came off the bench to complete 8 of 11 passes for 141 yards and two scores.
“All I did was just do my job,” Ti’a said post-game. “Nothing too special. I feel like, obviously, there are mistakes I could fix up, but as long as I do my job and keep the flow of the offense, it’s all I can ask for.”
