Bear Insider Video: Cal Quarterback Devin Brown

New Cal QB Devin Brown‍ experienced some of the biggest highs and lows a collegiate player could experience with his team in the 2024 season.

The former 5 star QB served as the primary backup for National Champion Ohio State these past two seasons and found himself in the pit of despair with his teammates after losing to hated rivals Michigan 

"I would say there's nothing worse than losing the team up North," Brown said of the loss to Michigan. "So when that happened, it was kind of a shock to everybody and really kind of felt like the season was over for a lot of guys, and some people kind of turned their heads. But we had a team meeting the next day, kind of hashing things out, and it was just kind of the players that talked and kind of tried to nip everything in the bud right there, and we knew that we could go on a run and do something special, like we knew we had the guys that could go win a national championship. So to be able to flip the page from that game and just be able to move on and then go make the greatest run, in my opinion, college football history was pretty special.

"It was special, for sure. I mean, it was a very determined group of men and guys that were really close. I don't think I've been a part of a team that's been that close before, and so determined and driven to go do something special, and at the end of the day, that's what we did. So it's pretty amazing to be able to experience that." 

The Bears beat out some stiff competition for Brown, though he kept his recruitment particularly low key to not take away from his team’s championship run.

Brown was asked about some of the primary factors involved in choosing his new home.

"A couple different reasons," Brown said. "The Bay Area is closer to home for me. I'm from Arizona originally, so being closer to home was important for me. An opportunity to play was important for me. The coaching staff - Coach Wilcox and Coach Harsin and Coach Rolovich - they're some great coaches here that know a high level of football and have seen it at the highest level, and coached it at the highest level. So the resume that they had was pretty important to me. And you know, everything that I saw, it felt right."

Though no starting role was guaranteed to the redshirt junior signal caller, a strong opportunity to be able to get over the hump of being QB2 for Ohio State and assume a starting role was a big selling point for Cal.

"That's something that was really important to me," Brown noted. "You know, I spent my time as the backup and spent my time being the team guy and helping his team go win. So I feel like it's my time to actually go do something and help the team win and actually be doing it on the field, not just helping them from the sidelines. So I'm super excited and super thankful that I'm here for this opportunity."

An added element that helped make the Bears the right destination for Brown was his familiarity with a couple of his future and now current teammates.

"Yeah, an old Buckeyes receiver and an old teammate from high school,” Brown noted. “Me and Hunter Barth played high school ball together. I've known Hunter for a long time and we're actually roommates here now and then Kyion Grayes was a former receiver at Ohio State and former Arizona guy too, so I've got a connection with these guys and that was actually something that was big for me, too, coming here, already having a little bit of a connection with some players."

So far, the new Cal QB is excited about working with new Cal OC Bryan Harsin and Nick Rolovich and has already spent a great deal of time with his new mentors.

"It's been great," Brown said. "I've been with them pretty much all day, every day, since I've gotten here, just talking ball and naming stuff, making plays, and just talking about our offense."

Brown feels like he’ll be able to take some of the high-level coaching he received from Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and add the expertise of Harsin and Rolovich and expand upon his repertoire on the field for the Bears. 

"Yeah, for sure," Brown said. "There's been different things that we've talked about that, things that I could change, things that I liked at Ohio State, that I"ll bring here. So there's a good blend of everything."

The new Bears QB was asked about some of the skill sets that Cal fans can expect to see from their new QB this season.

"I would say it's honestly just like our culture here, smart and tough," Brown said. "I feel like I'm a really smart player, and I know the ins and out of the game, and the ins and out of the defenses and what the offense does and what we're trying to get accomplished on every play. And then at the end of the day, I think I'm a tough player too. You know, when stuff gets hard, I think I'm able to power through things and go make that one inch and make that one play."

With spring ball just around the corner next month, the former 5 star QB talked about some of the things he’s most looking forward to with his first official time on the field as a Bear.

"You know, these guys have been working really hard," Brown noted. "I think we've done a good job of incorporating the new stuff that Coach Harsin has put in, and guys have really bought into learning all this stuff right now. So I'm excited just to be able to actually do it. It's all fun when we get to walk through it and everything, but actually having the helmet on and being able to actually throw the football is when it really gets fun. So I'm just excited to do it."

Stay tuned for more from the newest Bears on campus.