Former Auburn QB Hank Brown commits to Iowa via transfer portal

IOWA CITY — Ex-Auburn quarterback Hank Brown has committed to Iowa football via the transfer portal, he announced Friday afternoon.

Brown comes to Iowa City after two years at Auburn and has three years of eligibility remaining.

He appeared in four games this season and started against New Mexico and Arkansas. He had an impressive showing against New Mexico — completing 17 of 25 passes for 235 yards and four touchdowns — but then threw three interceptions against Arkansas. Overall, he completed 62.8 percent of his passes with six touchdowns and three interceptions.

As a three-star recruit out of Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Brown had offers from Illinois, Minnesota and Pittsburgh before eventually choosing Auburn. His high school coach was former NFL quarterback and current UAB head coach Trent Dilfer.

“He is a B-plus-to-A-plus player in every part of quarterbacking,” Dilfer told Birmingham, Ala.-based WJOX-FM earlier this year. “The things that people want to talk about the most — his arm talent is an 8, 8.5. His accuracy is a 9.5. His poise is a 9. He won’t flinch in the SEC.”

Brown is the first player from the portal to commit to Iowa since the end of the 2024 regular season. It follows a visit to Iowa City on Thursday, which included watching the Cy-Hawk men’s basketball game with tight end Addison Ostrenga.

Brown will join a quarterback room that has lost Cade McNamara, Marco Lainez and James Resar to the portal during this cycle.

That leaves the Auburn transfer presumably competing with ex-Northwestern quarterback Brendan Sullivan and ex-Colorado State quarterback Jackson Stratton for playing time in 2025. Iowa also will have two incoming freshmen at the position — Jimmy Sullivan and Ryan Fitzgerald.

Stratton and Fitzgerald are walk-ons, so even with Brown’s addition, the Hawkeyes still have only three scholarship quarterbacks for their 2025 season. The portal will be open until Dec. 28 although athletes can still commit after that date.

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

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