How Devin Brown is handling another Ohio State football quarterback competition
Devin Brown made a splash late in one of Ohio State’s practices last week.
It was at the end of an 11-on-11 period on Friday when he floated a pass deep over the middle of the field that fell into the hands of Bryson Rodgers, a second-year slot receiver.
As Brown goes through another preseason training camp competing to start at quarterback for the Buckeyes, the sequence provided a snapshot of the upside of Brown.
His arm talent remains an alluring trait.
“When I get the look, I’m not afraid to throw it up,” Brown said.
Brown carries the moxie of a gunslinging passer, but maintains a matter-of-factness with taking those deep shots.
“I just trust in my training,” he said. “I trust in my coaches. I know my reads. So when it’s open, I’m going to take it.”
If Brown is to continue to push Kansas State transfer Will Howard for the starting job, he will also need displays of accuracy from the pocket.
The steadiness of Kyle McCord kept him ahead of Brown last year as the passers jockeyed for the top spot on the depth chart into September.
When Brown saw his most extended audition in a 35-7 win over Youngstown State, he completed just over half of his passes, missing some easy ones as he finished seven of 13 for 101 yards.
To prepare for his third season at Ohio State, Brown sought to become more consistent from throw to throw.
He visited with private quarterback coaches Jordan Palmer and Mike White in southern California to refine his mechanics.
“That’s been a huge help for me,” Brown said.
It largely involved footwork. Palmer and White helped to change how he steps with his front foot.
“So throwing the ball, I feel a lot more consistent,” Brown said.
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Along with tweaks to his delivery, the redshirt sophomore is a more experienced passer. He’s been enrolled at Ohio State since 2022, twice as long as any of the other scholarship quarterbacks on the roster.
His contains a deeper familiarity with Ryan Day’s spread offense, feeling more comfortable behind center.
“Way more comfortable,” he said. “Being my third year in the offense, I pretty much know everything in and out. I’m not really having to think too much in the installs. I’m just going out and playing.”
The experience only adds to his confidence, a quality he has long seen as a strength.
“I think I bring confidence and a drive to the team,” he said, “that guys want to go out there and make a play and go win.”
While the Buckeyes have a larger group of quarterbacks rotating through reps in preseason practices, Brown has not found to be this battle much different so far.
"It's really no different than last year in terms of just how it all works and how it's all playing out," he said. No stress. I'm just going out there and playing football."
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @joeyrkaufman or email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football: Devin Brown talks quarterback competition
