The college football transfer portal has allowed extremely talented players to find a place where they can play more football. Such is the case for former Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Kaleb Brown, who has announced his commitment to the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Kaleb Brown Transfers to Iowa
As Ohio State continues to attract seemingly every high-rated wide receiver recruit in the nation under the tutelage of Brian Hartline, they will inevitably see some star talent slip through the cracks. While he hasn’t had the opportunity to show it at the college football level yet, the Hawkeyes snatched up one such player with the arrival of Brown for the upcoming season.
Brown transfers to Iowa ahead of the 2023 college football season, having seen playing time in just four games as a freshman in Columbus. Furthermore, he saw just one reception for five yards during his first year in college. As a result, he has four years remaining eligibility for the Hawkeyes.
Those numbers, however, can be a little misleading. Yes, Brown only played in four games and only had one reception. However, he battled back from an injury in his senior high school season that ultimately led to a minor surgery. Furthermore, he took as many offensive snaps as any other Buckeye in the 2022 class.
MORE: Big Ten WR Rankings 2023
A four-star recruit in that class, Brown was a top-10 wide receiver in the nation while being ranked as the second overall player in the state of Illinois. Although he missed most of his senior season with the aforementioned injury, he averaged over 100 all-purpose yards per game as a junior.
Additionally, he is the only player to be named the Chicago Catholic League’s East Suburban Catholic Conference Player of the Year twice. He held 19 offers coming out of St. Rita High School, with Ohio State fending off Michigan, Alabama, Florida, and Boston College to secure the services of the speedy running back turned wide receiver.
While Ohio State’s depth at wide receiver softens the blow of Brown’s departure, their loss is very much the gain of the Hawkeyes. While we’ve not seen much evidence at the college level so far, his hands, route running capability, and pure speed should make him a dangerous slot weapon for Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara.
Brown Quick Facts
- Class: Redshirt freshman
- Height: 5’10”
- Weight: 197
- Hometown: Chicago, Ill
- Career receptions: 1
- Career receiving yards: 5
- Career average yards per catch: 5.0
- Career receiving touchdowns: 0
