Ohio State quarterbacks Air Noland (12), Mason Maggs (16), Devin Brown (33), and Will Howard (18) during an open practice Tuesday. Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor
Devin Brown is looking to rewrite his narrative after falling short in last season’s quarterback competition.
“I have all of the confidence in the world, I’ll never doubt myself,” Brown said. “I’m always going to think I’m the best quarterback in the room and the best quarterback in the country.”
Battling all spring, summer, fall and even through two games of the 2023 season, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day went back and forth on who the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback should be — sophomore Brown or junior Kyle McCord. Despite calling it a “close” battle for several weeks, Day ultimately settled for McCord, sending Brown to the bench.
Now with McCord gone to Syracuse, Brown’s path to the starting position seems to be paved — or is it?
Ohio State headed into its first spring practice Tuesday with five scholarship quarterbacks, a number that’s almost unheard of, including two five-star early enrollees in Air Noland and Julian Sayin. Freshman Lincoln Kienholz and senior Kansas State transfer Will Howard complete the five.
“That’s Ohio State, I mean you’re always going to have the best players no matter what,” Brown said. “I didn’t care coming in who was in here. I never cared who was in here.”
Brown played in six games last season, earning his first start against Missouri in the Cotton Bowl Dec. 29, 2023. He passed for 217 yards, two touchdowns and ran for one of his own against Purdue. However, his season was riddled with ankle injuries, so when he exited the bowl game with a left-leg limp, he said he felt like he had his chance to show his prowess and it was stripped from him.
The difference this time, though, is that he had a full offseason to bounce back. Brown said he could never fully recover mid-season, but this time is different.
Additionally, he now wears cleats with increased ankle protection and doesn’t run onto the field without them taped. Tuesday, he was seen working with the first-team offense — heavily taped — alongside Kienholz and Howard.
“My cleat just got stuck in the ground both times and there’s things I’ve been able to do to strengthen my ankles again,” Brown said. “Now they’ll definitely be taped up and I’ll have bigger cleats and we’ll be as cautious as we can be.”
Assuming Brown’s ankles remain intact, he still has a couple of hoops to jump through: Kienholz and Howard, both of whom said they are ready to vie with Brown for the starting role.
Kienholz took over for Brown in the Cotton Bowl, passing for 6-of -17 on 86 yards. He said playing in that game gave him valuable experience and confidence that he can use to compete for the starting job, though he knows he still has to take time to fully develop.
“I’m pretty young, this is my first spring, so I haven’t really gotten to go through that process,” Kienholz said. “I think if I come in and I’m the guy then great, but if not, I have another year to build on that.”
Howard, who has four years of experience as a starter under his belt, has a strong case to make, especially if paired with a strong spring. Over his time at Kansas State, he threw for 5,786 yards and 48 touchdowns, rushing for an additional 19.
Brown and Kienholz said Day spoke with both of them directly about why the coaching staff decided to recruit Howard out of the transfer portal. Brown said he thinks Howard is a good addition and looks forward to the high-level competition he poses, while Howard reflects that same confidence.
“I got one more year — I didn’t come here to be nervous or to be timid or anything like that,” Howard said. “I’m ready to go and the fact of the matter is, it might not all be perfect, and I might make a few mistakes, but that’s how I’m going to learn and that’s how we’re going to learn as a team. Nothing’s too big for me, nothing’s too big for this team.
The quarterbacks have 14 more practices remaining before the spring game April 13. Brown, who has been in this position before, said he’s ready to officially “unleash the flame.”
