Experiencing the Iowa Sports Environment
Brown attended the Iowa men's basketball's Cy-Hawk matchup against Iowa State on Thursday. He was accompanied by fellow transfer portal target Langden Kitchen and several members of the football team. The atmosphere at the game was electric. "Going to the basketball game was really cool just to see the environment and the love that the Iowa fans have for their sports," Brown told the Register Friday. "They were definitely some people coming up to me and talking. The general atmosphere was amazing. The in-state rivalry was a sight to behold. Although we didn't win, it was fun to see the building get hyped."This experience gave Brown a taste of the passion and enthusiasm that Iowa sports fans bring. It was a moment that he will always remember and one that strengthened his connection with the Hawkeyes.
Watching Football Practice
One of the notable memories of Brown's visit to Iowa City was watching football practice. He described watching offensive coordinator Tim Lester and head coach Kirk Ferentz work with the team as "super impressive." "Coach Lester just does an incredible job. He's super intentional with everything he does. Watching him be super hands-on with the quarterbacks throughout the entire practice and leading the offense was truly remarkable. When a guy makes a mistake, he runs over to them and helps them get it corrected. He has a great relationship with all the guys and is able to understand where they're at and help them fix the issue at hand," Brown said.Brown also noticed the way Ferentz interacted with a particular position group. "And then, coach Ferentz obviously is an O-line guru and watching him just get on the O-line and help them out makes me understand why they're so good at that position," he added.
Commitment to Iowa Football
The visit led to Brown's commitment to Iowa, providing a much-needed reinforcement to their quarterback room. Next season's projected group currently consists of just Brendan Sullivan, Jackson Stratton, and Brown along with incoming freshmen Jimmy Sullivan and Ryan Fitzgerald.Brown was a 3-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class. He was originally committed to Liberty but followed Hugh Freeze when he took the head coaching job at Auburn. Over two seasons, Brown appeared in five games with the Tigers and was 34-of-52 passing (65.4%) for 535 yards with six touchdowns and three picks. Two of those five appearances were starts, and they couldn't have been more different.
The Best and Worst Games of His Career
The best game of Brown's career came against New Mexico this season, his first career start at Auburn. He was 17-of-25 passing for 235 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions in the 45-19 victory. "I was able to go out there and play free, knowing that my coaches and the players around me had confidence in me. Just being able to go out there and sling it and have a good idea of our game plan and the goal was exciting and fun," Brown said.However, he started the next game against Arkansas with drastically different results. Brown threw three interceptions in the first half and was benched. "I learned a bunch from that game. The biggest thing I take from it is when you get into adverse situations, you learn who's resilient and who's not. I had to show my teammates and coaches how I was going to respond in that moment," he added.
Cultivating a Relationship with Lester
Lester, still in his first season as Iowa's offensive coordinator, has extensive knowledge of the quarterback position, having played the position himself. Brown was able to build a relationship with Lester this week. "He's been incredible. Just an awesome, genuine guy who loves the game of football. It's exciting to be able to learn from him and grow with him in this offense," Brown said.In his first season with Auburn, Brown appeared in just one game, allowing him to maintain a redshirt. This means he has three seasons of eligibility remaining, providing Lester with plenty of opportunity to develop him as a quarterback.
Looking Forward to His Future at Iowa
Brown is now the newest piece of Iowa's quarterback room as Lester tries to lay the foundation for the future. "Being able to visit and see the culture that they have. Not only from the coaches but also the players. And then getting to sit with coach Lester and learn the offense and see how I'm going to fit into it just really excites me. I think this is a big step for me in the trajectory of my career. I'm super excited to be a Hawkeye," Brown said.