Iowa has landed its first commitment out of the transfer portal in former Auburn quarterback, Hank Brown. He visited Iowa City on Thursday.
After two seasons with the Tigers, Brown has three years of eligibility remaining.
Premium subscribers were aware of the mutual interest between he and Iowa prior to his visit being made public.
Brown started two games and appeared in five for the Tigers while with the program. He completed 34-of-52 passes (65.4%) for 403 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions in those five games.
Granted the opportunity to play early this season after college football veteran Payton Thorne struggled, Brown's potential flashed against Group of 5 New Mexico in September. That was the game where he received the majority of his snaps for the Tigers, and Brown completed 17-of-25 passes for 235 yards and four touchdowns in the game.
He followed that up with his second start, playing against Arkansas, his first SEC competition. Against the Razorbacks, Brown completed just 7-of-13 passes for 72 yards and three interceptions. He was benched at halftime of the game.
Initially committed to Hugh Freeze and Liberty out of high school, Brown flipped to Auburn once Freeze landed the job with the Tigers.
A three-star passer out of Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tennessee, Brown did not start until his senior year. Prior to playing as a senior, Brown sat behind Cincinnati signee Luther Richesson, who also led the Mustangs to a state championship.
Brown maintained that same standard and led his team to a DII-AA state championship in 2023. In his one year as a starter, he threw for 3,264 yards with 47 touchdowns against just three interceptions. He was coached by NFL vet and now UAB head coach Trent Dilfer when he joined the program for his junior and senior year. Brown is originally from Wheaton, Illinois -- the same hometown as Iowa offensive coordinator Tim Lester.
With his recruitment starting before his junior campaign, Brown received offers from Power 4 programs Pitt, Minnesota and Illinois before choosing Liberty and then Auburn.
Adding Brown now gives Iowa three scholarship quarterbacks for the spring, as he'll be on the depth chart with Northwestern transfer Brendan Sullivan and freshman gunslinger Jimmy Sullivan. So far, the trio is also set to be joined by transfer walk-on Jackson Stratton and freshman walk-on Ryan Fitzgerald.
This will be the first season under Lester that no quarterback on the roster will have ties to previous offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz.
