Kaleb Brown fashions himself as ‘automatic impact guy’ at Iowa
The Iowa Hawkeyes are looking for a game-breaking wide receiver. The expectation is that Ohio State transfer Kaleb Brown just might be that guy.
In a massive transfer portal win, the Hawkeyes secured a much-needed commitment from Brown. Coming out of St. Rita High School, the Chicago, Ill., product had offers from a number of the nation’s and region’s top schools.
In addition to Iowa, Brown boasted offers from Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Penn State and Wisconsin.
Of course, he eventually signed with the Buckeyes, but the nation’s top schools wanted the four-star signee and his 10.84 100-meter dash speed. As he arrives in Iowa City, he brings that type of explosive pedigree with him.
The 5-foot-10, 197 pound wide receiver also said something Iowa fans will want to hear with Hawk Central.
“Automatic impact guy, for sure. Yeah, definitely doing what I’ve got to do just to get up to speed with how things roll here,” Brown said when asked if he would be an immediate contributor.
Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch
Given his stature and speed, it’s natural to make the connection that Brown will figure into the Hawkeyes’ plans at slot receiver. But, the former Buckeye doesn’t want to get boxed into any one specific role.
“No particular place. Yeah, I was a slot at Ohio State, but I feel I can play both. Honestly, I want to be able to switch it up in a game. You know what I mean, go from outside, go inside, and just confuse defenses,” Brown said.
It makes sense, too. With his athleticism, Brown should be able to move around and make defenses think a little bit. At the end of the day, Iowa is just thrilled to add his talent alongside key returnees Nico Ragaini and Diante Vines and fellow newcomer Seth Anderson.
So, why Iowa? Listening to Brown, it wasn’t just the idea of impacting the Hawkeyes’ offense immediately or the fact that Michigan transfer quarterback Cade McNamara would be along for the ride as well.
“It was about how I felt when I first got here that really sold me. Just the whole team in general,” Brown said.
He noted that McNamara definitely sold the idea of playing together and that McNamara’s presence checked off a recruiting box for him, but it wasn’t necessarily the driving force behind donning the black and gold.
“That was definitely a box that I wanted to check for sure, so he sold it, but I just wouldn’t say that was my first instinct, my first immediate decision, the reasoning for my decision. But, he definitely sold me. Just like I said, the way that I felt when I first got here, was what was more important than anything else,” Brown said.
The relationship with Iowa’s coaching staff from his high school recruitment mattered, too.
“Yeah, it was definitely good because I remember them probably being one of the first couple of schools that came to my high school. I met coach and we chopped it up and everything, but I wasn’t really too sure where I wanted to go to school. Eventually, later down the line, I made the decision. But yeah, just to see the familiar faces come back and just still to see that they got the same kind of faith in me was really all I needed to see pretty much,” Brown said.
As he hopped in the car to leave Iowa City following his visit, Brown said it became apparent there was no need to keep searching.
“It was on the way back home,” Brown said of when he knew Iowa was the right spot. “You know, I was just talking to my mom about it, talking to my godfather Melvin and it was really just like a no-brainer at the end of the day.
“I liked it, my mom liked it and my brother liked it, so it was just like there’s really no point in going and visiting all these other schools. You can only go to one school, so it’s like, take it or leave it. And I like the situation here. I just rolled with it.”
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