The Big Lead

Ohio State backup QB Devin Brown transferring from Buckeyes to ACC team

By Joe Lago

Sep 7, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Devin Brown (33) throws a pass during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Western Michigan Broncos at Ohio Stadium.
Sep 7, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Devin Brown (33) throws a pass during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Western Michigan Broncos at Ohio Stadium. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
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A day after winning a College Football Playoff national championship, Ohio State quarterback Devin Brown said goodbye to the Buckeyes in pursuit of a new opportunity on the West Coast.

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On Tuesday, Brown, the backup to Ohio State starter Will Howard, signed with Cal to compete for the Golden Bears' starting quarterback position with Oregon freshman transfer Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele.

Brown entered the transfer portal on Dec. 9 but stayed with Ryan Day's Buckeyes to help the program win its first national title since 2014.

Brown, a 6-foot-3, 212-pound redshirt sophomore from Arizona, lost a QB competition to Kyle McCord in 2023 and was this season's backup to Howard, a transfer from Kansas State. In his three seasons in Columbus, Brown played 17 games and completed 27 of 48 passes for 331 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

In Berkeley, Brown joins a revamped QB room with the surprising departure of starter Fernando Mendoza to Indiana. He'll compete for the Bears' starting job with Sagapolutele, a five-star recruit from Hawaii who was committed to Cal, signed with Oregon and then left the Ducks after they planned to have Dante Moore succeed Dillon Gabriel.

Brown joins a Cal offense that will return three of its key playmakers in running backs Jaydn Ott and Jaivian Thomas and tight end Jack Endries. Also, head coach Justin Wilcox has brought in former Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin as his new offensive coordinator and former Washington State head coach Nick Rolovich as a senior offensive assistant.

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