Devin Brown said he was as surprised as anyone when Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord entered the transfer portal on Monday.

Brown calls McCord one of his "closest friends," but he also knows what McCord’s departure means for him. It means Brown has a chance to show he's capable of being the starting quarterback next season when he plays in Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl game against No. 9 Missouri on Dec. 29.

“I'm excited to go play and have fun with this team. I can't believe my first start is going to be in the Cotton Bowl. It's a big stage against a really good team. It's a top-10 matchup, and I'm just excited to go out there and show what I can do.”

It’s an opportunity he didn’t think he’d get.

“It definitely caught me off guard,” Brown said of McCord’s departure. “I wasn’t expecting anything, so it was definitely a shock.”

Brown is a redshirt freshman from Arizona who played for former Buckeye Joe Germaine before transferring to Corner Canyon High School in Utah as a senior.

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Brown and McCord battled to succeed C.J. Stroud as the Buckeyes’ quarterback, with McCord ultimately prevailing. But McCord wasn't officially named the starter until Week 3, and wanting to take advantage of Brown’s greater mobility, Ohio State coach Ryan Day started using Brown as a red zone quarterback in October.

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Brown sprained an ankle on a goal-line run against Penn State and tweaked the injury in warmups before the Michigan State game on Nov. 14. Brown said the ankle is now healthy.

He threw only 22 passes this season, completing 12 for 197 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Brown ran 19 times for 35 yards, which includes sacks.

Now he has another chance to audition for the starter's job. Ohio State is looking at options for 2024 in the transfer portal, but there’s no obvious elite quarterback like Justin Fields was four years ago.

Brown said he’s unconcerned about possible additions to the quarterback room. The Buckeyes have freshman Lincoln Kienholz, and five-star Air Noland is committed to sign later this month.

“My focus is on being the starting quarterback at Ohio State,” Brown said. “I’ve never cared about who (else) was in the room or anybody that was coming.”

Brown has a touch of brashness to him as well as a natural charisma and leadership.

“The whole offseason, I felt like my leadership was very good, and guys felt me and would like me to be the leader as well,” he said.

Both he and McCord were put through a crucible throughout the competition.

“It was very back and forth,” Brown said. “It really could have gone either way, and a lot of guys would agree. It was disappointment when I didn’t (get) it, but that’s just how the game works.”

Several teammates voiced confidence in Brown. Junior receiver Emeka Egbuka was one of six NFL draft-eligible underclassmen who said Tuesday they would play in the Cotton Bowl.

He sounded excited to play with Brown.

“He's a great improviser, a great field general,” Egbuka said. “He's someone who provides the offense with a lot of energy, which is huge at that position. And he has a cannon, too. Those deep balls down the field, he can really launch those as well.”

McCord was more of a pocket passer who didn’t run often, though playing with a sprained ankle most of the season limited him.

“Devin really has a knack for extending the play after it's broken down,” Egbuka said. “That's ultra-valuable, especially when you're playing in matchup games because those big plays often come from broken-down plays. It's not something you've scripted. It's just the reaction of the players that are around you. The ability to extend the play is a trait that really can help a quarterback a lot.”

Brown has impressed OSU’s defensive players in practice.

“All of us have extreme confidence in Devin,” said defensive end Jack Sawyer. “Devin’s just a super-talented kid, and he’s going to go out there and compete.”

If Brown plays well against Missouri, it could springboard him into next season. If not, it might be back to the drawing board for the Buckeyes at quarterback.

Brown is unfazed by that pressure.

“That's every situation that I'm in at Ohio State,” he said. “That's every game. If you're not playing well, it's next man up always. If you're not getting the job done, it's always going to be (given) to the guy who can go do it.”

On Dec. 29, it’ll be Brown’s chance.

“It’s an incredible moment for me,” he said.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State QB Devin Brown 'super excited' to start in Cotton Bowl