Devin Brown has officially signed with the California Golden Bears, departing from the Ohio State Buckeyes shortly after their recent College Football Playoff national title victory. Brown, who served as the backup quarterback to William Howard during the season, managed 331 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in limited action. Initially, Brown was expected to succeed Kyle McCord as Ohio State’s starting quarterback after McCord transferred to Syracuse in December 2023.
However, Brown’s performance in the 14-3 loss to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl, coupled with an ankle injury, led Ohio State head coach Ryan Day to explore other options in the transfer portal. Ultimately, Brown decided to leave in search of a secure starting role for the final two years of his collegiate eligibility. His tenure at Ohio State was marked by tough competition, as he lost starting battles to CJ Stroud, Kyle McCord, and most recently, William Howard. With the arrival of five-star recruit Julian Sayin, Brown chose to avoid another battle for the starting position.
Sayin now leads the race to become Ohio State’s next starting quarterback, especially after four-star quarterback recruit Air Noland also left the program. Noland has committed to the South Carolina Gamecocks. Brown, who entered Ohio State in 2020 as a three-star recruit, has since been re-evaluated as a four-star transfer and was ranked the 33rd-best quarterback in this year’s transfer portal, according to 247 Sports.
Devin Brown Explains His Departure
Brown opened up about his decision to leave Ohio State, citing the unpredictability of college football as a key factor. “That’s just college football,” Brown said. “It never works out the way that anybody really expects it to… Last year, dealing with a ton of injuries and not playing as much as I really wanted to, it just kind of fuels you a little more. It never really got me down in the dumps or anything like that. I just wanted to keep doing more and more and get back out and prove what I can do.”
Brown also discussed having transparent conversations with head coach Ryan Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly about his future. “I just had one-on-one meetings with both of them and just kind of told them what I was thinking and what I was feeling, and they just said that was fair,” he shared.
Despite his decision to leave, Brown emphasized his commitment to finishing the season with the Buckeyes. “In that conversation, I also said I think it’s only right that I stay and stick to my word and finish things the right way, and they (Day and Kelly) agreed because I’m the backup. And if something happens, they need me to come in and help this team win.”
Brown’s departure appears to be amicable, with no hard feelings between him and the Ohio State staff. It seems his decision was driven by the desire to find a better opportunity to showcase his talents and take on a starting role elsewhere.