Ohio State quarterback Devin Brown captured a national championship on Monday, serving as the primary backup to Will Howard during the season. On Tuesday, he officially made the decision to transfer to Cal, signing to play for the ACC program.
Brown announced his decision to transfer after the regular season, but opted to stay with the Buckeyes through the College Football Playoff run, a decision that ultimately paid off as Ohio State knocked off Tennessee, Oregon, Texas and Notre Dame en route to winning the first-ever 12-team CFP.
Cal wasted no time in welcoming the newly-crowned national champion to the Golden Bears on Tuesday afternoon.
Brown, a four-star player out of Corner Canyon High School (Utah) in the 2022 recruiting class, finishes his Ohio State career with 331 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, serving as a backup to Kyle McCord and Howard over the last two seasons. Now, he’s set to compete for a starting job in the ACC, alongside Oregon transfer Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele.
Cal coach Justin Wilcox recently hired former Auburn and Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin as offensive coordinator. The Golden Bears are coming off of a very eventful first season in the ACC, going 6–7 with a loss to UNLV in the LA Bowl. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza transferred to Indiana after tossing for 3,004 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions in ’24.
With Howard set to depart, Ohio State’s starting quarterback job will likely come down to Julian Sayin, a former Alabama transfer who spent his first year with the Buckeyes in 2024, and five-star 2025 signee Tavien St. Clair. Sayin threw for 84 yards and a touchdown this season.