Sophomore quarterback Devin. Brown (15) prepares to throw downfield during the Ohio State Spring Game. Ohio State Scarlet team won 34-26. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor.

Before first-year quarterback Devin Brown arrived on campus, he was getting the sense of what it meant to be a Buckeye.

Brown was under the tutelage of former Ohio State quarterback Joe Germaine, learning before he first stepped onto the practice field at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center that “there’s always highs and lows” and to keep “grinding.”

Now trying to take that advice, along with guidance from his teammates and coaches, Brown hopes to make the most of his first season as a signal caller and slow down the game that  sped up on him through preseason camp.

“It’s never going to feel slow. Even the scrimmage felt pretty fast-paced, and that was like a step back almost,” Brown said. “From the spring, it’s completely different, and I just feel like my head’s not spinning at the line of scrimmage. I kind of have an understanding of where I got to be with the ball and what I can do with protections.”

The Draper, Utah, native was never originally slated to be the Buckeyes’ quarterback-in-waiting, announcing his verbal commitment to USC Sept. 19, 2020.

A little over a year later, Ohio State offered him after quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis went to his high school to watch him throw.

“It was a raining practice, the ball was like 10 pounds, but we were still getting after it. It was dumping on us,” Brown said Feb. 2. “[Dennis’] just standing out there and he’s in jeans and a shirt, and it’s maybe 20 degrees, and it’s just pouring rain on him. And he just loved it and, from that day, he just knew that I was the guy that he wanted.”

Brown flew to Columbus for an official visit Nov. 20, 2021 for Ohio State’s 56-7 drubbing of Michigan State. Four days later, he decommitted from USC, announcing his commitment to Ohio State Dec. 1, 2021 before enrolling in the university a little over a month later.

Brown went from throwing for 7,961 yards and 85 touchdowns at Corner Canyon High School to third on the depth chart at Ohio State.

Yet, there is no quarterback battle this year like at this time a year ago. 

Third-year quarterback C.J. Stroud is in the driver’s seat, looking to build off his Heisman Trophy-finalist and record-breaking campaign in 2021.Second-year Kyle McCord also returns with another offseason and one regular-season start under his belt, anchoring the second-string duties.

Behind both of them is Brown who is still getting his feet wet when facing defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ innovative schemes and concepts. His reality at the moment is working through the growing pains of playing quarterback at the collegiate level.

Many questioned whether Brown would challenge McCord for the No. 2 quarterback role with repetitions divied up differently each day, but Dennis said he is focused on how each quarterback improves his skills.

“I think the competition is within themselves. How can they get better? How can they develop?” Dennis said. “I think that that’s always the way that it is around here because you have to take care of yourself. If you’re worrying about somebody else, then you’re not really focusing on yourself and getting better.”

Stroud said he is “excited” to see what Brown has in store for his future.

“Devin has done a great job. He’s a natural-born leader I feel, too,” Stroud said. “He’s definitely done a great job leading those young guys and taking those young receivers and getting chemistry.” 

Dennis said the Buckeyes “need everybody in the room” to win a game, honing in on how each quarterback can “win the moment” to upgrade the room as a whole.

Brown realizes this concept and has bought into his role of helping out in any way that he can.

“When I’m competing with the guys, they’re trying to be better than me, and I’m trying to be better than them. So, us just working with each other, we’re always trying to get better,” Brown said. “Just being in the offense, understanding things, being able to assist when they have questions, anything like that. But, you never know what’s going to happen in the game — you just got to be ready when your number’s called.”