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Ohio State football backup QB Devin Brown to transfer to California
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- Ohio State football backup QB Devin Brown to transfer to California
Devin Brown , who spent the past two seasons as Ohio State 's backup quarterback, is transferring to California , signing with the school on Tuesday.
Brown had entered the transfer portal last month , a step that allowed him to be in contact with other staffs as he remained with the Buckeyes for the College Football Playoff. Their season ended Monday night with a win over Notre Dame in the final.
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Devin Brown arrives on the field prior to the College Football Playoff first round game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Dec. 21, 2024.
Before the quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl, he told The Dispatch that he wanted to honor his commitment to the team, continuing to back up Will Howard .
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"I'm a man of my word," he said, "and I made a promise to this team that I was going to be here no matter what to try to win a national championship."
A native of suburban Phoenix, Brown returns to the West and will have two seasons of eligibility left with the Golden Bears .
He figures to have a chance to start as Fernando Mendoza , who was California's starting quarterback this past season, transferred to Indiana , clearing a spot at the top of the depth chart.
Brown had vied to start at quarterback at Ohio State the past two seasons, but fell short in preseason competitions to Howard and Kyle McCord .
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After starting for the Buckeyes in 2023, McCord transferred to Syracuse , another school in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Golden Bears left the Pac-12 to join the ACC last year.
Devin Brown stats
Brown has thrown for 331 yards and three touchdowns while appearing in 17 games as a backup.
He threw a touchdown last September when he replaced Howard during the second quarter of a win at Michigan State, finding star freshman Jeremiah Smith who made a one-handed grab.
This story was updated to add new information.
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 backup QB Devin Brown to transfer to California
