Sports

First Look At Auburn QB Byrum Brown Ignites $2 Million Concern Over Awkward Mechanics

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© Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images


The Auburn football team added transfer signal caller Byrum Brown in the offseason. The quarterback followed head coach Alex Golesh from South Florida.

The Tigers started spring practice this week. They got their first look at the new passer in the recent preseason session.

That practice sparked concerns surrounding his awkward throwing motion. Should fans be worried? Those viewing the film voiced their opinion on social media.

Byrum Brown will be Auburn’s starter.

The quarterback is a proven commodity. He also has a past relationship with the current staff. The Tigers are thin at the position following Hugh Freeze’s ouster. The job is Brown’s to lose.

Auburn will undergo a massive roster shift this season. Thirty-seven players left the program through the transfer portal. Thirty-nine new contributors were brought in to fill the voids.

The QB room took one of the biggest hits. For all of his failures, Freeze had secured talent in the form of former five-star passers Jackson Arnold and Deuce Knight. Both exited the Plains after his firing.

Freeze’s replacement, Golesh, brought a number of his USF stars with him. That group is headlined by Byrum Brown.

As a multi-year starter with the Bulls, he racked up a pair of 3,000-yard campaigns. He totaled 61 touchdown passes to just 19 interceptions. He was also a threat with his legs, rushing for 1,008 yards last year.

Brown is a true dual threat. He went toe-to-toe with Florida last year to pull an upset in the Swamp. Auburn fans have seen the accolades. He’s brought excitement under center.

Some, however, may not have actually watched him play at USF. They didn’t necessarily like what they saw in Practice 1 with the Tigers.

Brown has an unorthodox throwing motion.

He brings the ball down to his hip before coming back up to release. It is not necessarily quick. It looks awkward, but should it be concerning?

Alex Golesh clearly isn’t deterred by the motion. Brown’s been his guy for three seasons. He’ll get another chance to lead the offense in the season to come.

With that said, the long motion has some worried about SEC pass rushes. The athletes are bigger and faster in the nation’s top conference, which produces more defensive pros than any other.

Here were some of the top comments made under the clip posted above.

“He winds up his throw, takes 5 seconds to get the ball out. Someone needs to break that habit.”

“Terrible throwing motion. Gonna get sacked a lot in SEC.”

“That throwing motion looks like it hurts.”

Auburn will face Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Florida, and Ole Miss next year. It will represent a significant step up in competition for Brown and many of the offensive linemen brought into protect him.

Working in the passer’s favor is his ability to run and maneuver the pocket. Buying time can help offset the lengthy motion. He also spins a tight spiral despite the weird release.

The coaching staff is plenty familiar with the mechanics. It did not stop them from investing heavily in the quarterback. Byrum Brown has an NIL valuation just under $2 million according to Rivals.

In Golesh’s eyes, the motion isn’t broken. He doesn’t plan on fixing it. He’ll let Brown play as he has in the past without risking a disruption in timing and accuracy.

It will certainly be something to keep an eye on when the Tigers start the season. You can bet the topic will resurface should the offensive line be unable to protect.