The Transfer Portal opens on January 2, a little more than a week away. So far, six USF players have announced their intentions to enter the portal, and quarterback Byrum Brown is, of course, the most prominent of them.
The Saturday Blitz ranks him sixth among quarterbacks expected to enter the portal, although I would have him a little higher. He's better than DJ Lagway, in my opinion, but the fact that he has only one year of eligibility left could put him behind someone who can stay longer.
Anyway, let's take a look at possible landing spots for Brown. Bear in mind that he is represented by Shawn O'Hare of the powerhouse Rosenhaus Sports agency in Miami. O'Hare played football at Miami back in the day, so that could be a wild card.
We'll start there.
Miami
The Hurricanes could be in the market for a quarterback because Carson Beck is done after this season ends. The 'Canes have four quarterbacks on the roster now (not counting Beck) so the answer could come from one of the in-house candidates, but that's not really Miami's style.
Brown could be a fit here, but the more likely scenario is that the 'Canes will concentrate on Nebraska's Dylan Raiola, Drew Mestemaker of North Texas, or Sam Leavitt of Arizona State.
Auburn
We have to include Auburn as a possible landing spot, for obvious reasons. but will the lure of coaches Alex Golesh and Joel Gordon be enough to make Brown shout War Eagle? Not necessarily.
Five-star freshman Deuce Knight is already on the roster and looked good in his one game as a starter and, like Brown, is a dual threat. There's another factor, though. The projected starting quarterback for the Tigers, Ashton Daniels, announced he will enter the portal.
Decisions, decisions.
Florida State
Head coach Mike Norvell is in a "win-or-else" mode and needs a quarterback, now that Tommy Castellanos will move on. Brown would be a major upgrade for the Seminoles, even had Castellanos returned for one more year.
Put it this way: If the Seminoles aren't trying to get Brown on their roster, they would need to explain why. It may not be enough to convince Brown to go there, but desperate times call for desperate measures -- and the Seminoles are desperate.
Tennessee
This one would be interesting. Incumbent Vols quarterback Joey Aguilar is trying to gain an extra year of eligibility but it's far from certain that he will succeed. If he fails, that could leave the Vols needing QB help from the portal, and Brown could give them an intriguing one-year option because the obvious successor doesn't appear to be on the roster.
If Brown ends up there, circle October 3 on your calendar. That's when Auburn travels to Knoxville.
LSU
Lane Kiffin would have a blast moving Brown here, there, and everywhere. And, as we have seen, money is no object in Baton Rouge.
Kiffin might be more inclined to pursue Leavitt, Mestemaker, or even Cincinnati's Brendan Sorsby -- each of whom is ranked higher than Brown in portal projections. If those don't work out, though, the Tigers and Brown could be a natural fit for one year.