Byrum Brown Making Early Heisman Trophy Case

South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown has written a feel-good story through two weeks of the 2025 college football campaign. Brown has been outstanding while spearheading the Bulls to a dreamlike 2-0 start. The Raleigh, North Carolina native is an underrated early-season Heisman Trophy candidate.

The Bulls just executed a major upset at Florida, defeating the Gators 18-16 within the confines of The Swamp. Brown completed 23-of-36 passing attempts for 263 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions. The dual-threat scrambler also accounted for 66 additional rushing yards. The result has already been memorialized at the College Football Hall of Fame.

It was an appropriate follow-up to Brown's Week 1 performance. South Florida embarrassed Boise State 34-7. Brown rushed for two touchdowns and threw for 210 yards. The sneaky-good Heisman candidate has completed 65% of his passes through two contests.

Brown has already established himself as one of college football's elite dual-threat quarterbacks this season. His first rushing TD versus the Broncos highlighted his pocket maneuverability and off-script athleticism. Brown evaded several defenders in the pocket before bursting through a crease.

Brown’s wiggle and strength as a runner have been impressive. He displayed elusiveness and power in space on his second touchdown run against Boise State. This moment of self-brilliance extended South Florida's lead to 24-7, ensuring it’d be a statement-game result.

The performance at Florida was incredibly notable. Brown was poised in a difficult environment. Brown made incredible plays with his legs, none more eye-opening than this explosive scramble into the red zone that resulted in a South Florida field goal.

The Bulls play the No. 5-ranked Miami Hurricanes on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium. If Brown helps execute another unforeseen road upset against a ranked program, we'll arguably have our early-season Heisman favorite.

South Florida's schedule softens following the Miami contest. There's currently no other ranked program on the schedule. Brown could seriously stat-pad down the stretch while competing for the AAC Championship.

Brown has been building momentum and growing as a quarterback for consecutive campaigns. A full-time first-year starter in 2023, he set USF's single-season passing yards record while becoming the program's first 3,000-yard passer. Brown and Jayden Daniels were the only quarterbacks in the FBS to throw for 3,000-plus and rush for 700-plus yards on the season. He was named MVP of the Boca Raton Bowl, a 45-0 win over Syracuse.

A devastating injury unfortunately shortened Brown's 2024 campaign. He appeared in six contests before suffering a broken leg. He had accounted for five touchdowns in five completed starts. Brown has now returned to full strength with a vengeance this season, intent on making up for lost time.

Brown has been among the most consistent quarterbacks in college football in 2025. Two breathtaking performances have NFL scouts discussing his next-level potential. While the rest of the nation catches up to the magic occurring in South Florida, Brown is becoming a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate.