'Way more comfortable' Devin Brown feels more consistent in third year with Buckeyes

Leading up to the Cotton Bowl last season, the word that kept coming up around Devin Brown was “consistency” — something he supposedly had more of last winter than he did last summer when he lost a longstanding quarterback battle to 2023 Ohio State starter Kyle McCord.

Unfortunately for Brown, he didn’t really get an opportunity to prove that in Arlington, Texas’ AT&T Stadium, despite taking McCord’s place as the Buckeyes’ QB1 after McCord transferred to Syracuse.

Before Brown could get through the first quarter of the top-10, New Year’s Six showdown with Missouri, he suffered a left ankle sprain. Soon after, he exited the bowl game and, from the sidelines, watched the rest of a 14-3 loss, what began as his first career start.

Brown has spent his offseason striving for even more consistency. He did so this summer while working with quarterback trainers Jordan Palmer and Mike White out in California. They honed in on Brown’s footwork and, more specifically, how he can uses his front foot differently when throwing.

Brown believes he’s raised his game to a higher level because of that training, as well as the information he’s absorbed from Chip Kelly, who became Ohio State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach this past winter.

“Just decisions in the run game, accuracy, being my third year in the offense and knowing the system better and knowing this defense better for having a third year with this defense now,” Brown said Tuesday, when explaining his heightened consistency.

“I can anticipate things better and know where to go.”

Being healthy helps, too. His second year with the Buckeyes was marred by injuries.

Brown experienced a setback in April 2023 when he suffered a finger injury that required surgery, costing him the final week of practice and the spring game. Both McCord and Brown took turns leading the race in training camp, except McCord got the nod for Week 1 and then was named the full-time starter ahead of Week 3.

Ohio State carved out a red zone package for Brown midseason last year, and he scored his first career rushing touchdown at Purdue (he would have had another had he not fumbled). Later that day in mop-up duty, he threw a 58-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Inniss. The following week, the Buckeyes inserted Brown in the red zone against Penn State, but he sprained his right ankle while trying to reach the goal line.

Brown was sidelined down the stretch of the regular season, and, although he eventually got off the availability report, he didn’t play another snap until the Cotton Bowl, where, as mentioned above, he sprained his left ankle.

Less than a week after the postseason disappointment, Ohio State added Kansas State graduate transfer Will Howard from the portal. That put Brown in another offseason competition.

Howard has significantly more in-game experience — 27 starts of it, to be exact — but Brown entered the race for QB1 with more experience in the program.

“For me, it’s just different going into my third year, not having to really stress about anything,” said Brown, who noted he is “way more comfortable.”

He added: “Being in my third year in the offense, I mean, I pretty much know everything in and out, and so not really having to think too much in the installs, I’m just going out and playing.”

Brown’s deep ball has stood out the most early in training camp. He finished Friday’s practice with a perfectly-placed touchdown toss to second-year wideout Bryson Rodgers. Then, on Saturday, he hooked up with Emeka Egbuka twice downfield.

He said Tuesday that his knack for the long ball started when he was a five-star prospect at Corner Canyon High School in Draper, Utah.

“Having guys that could blaze down the field, and, [then] moving on to here, just when I get the look, I’m not afraid to throw it up,” Brown said. “I just trust in my training, trust in my coaches, and I know my reads. So when it’s open, I’m gonna take it.”

The Gilbert, Arizona, native is fighting an uphill battle to beat out Howard for the starting job this season, however, his increased consistency is noticeable — and his confidence hasn’t wavered.

“I think I bring a confidence and a drive to the team that guys want to go out there and make a play and go win for me,” Brown said.