Find out why Auburn transfer QB Hank Brown is committed to Iowa football

IOWA CITY – Several moments stood out for Hank Brown during his recent visit to Iowa City.

The former Auburn quarterback announced his commitment to the Hawkeyes on Friday, giving Iowa football its first transfer portal win of the recruiting round. But one of the experiences that shaped his feelings about the Hawkeyes actually happened at a basketball game.

Brown attended the Iowa men’s basketball team’s Cy Hawk match against Iowa State on Thursday. He was there with Langden Kitchen, another transfer portal target, as well as a handful of members of the football team, including tight end Addison Ostrenga, defensive lineman Aaron Graves, offensive coordinator Tim Lester and defensive line coach Kelvin Bell.

“It was really cool to go to the basketball game just to see the atmosphere and the love that the Iowa fans have for their sport,” Brown told the Register on Friday.

“There were definitely a few people who came up to me and talked. But just the general atmosphere. Apparently they had gone crazy. Obviously the interstate rivalry was cool to watch. We didn’t get the win, but it was fun to see the building get excited.”

But don’t get it twisted, his visit was about football. One of the most notable memories from the trip to Iowa City was watching football practice. Brown described Lester and head coach Kirk Ferentz’s work with the team as “super impressive.”

More:Auburn QB transfer Hank Brown commits to Iowa football: What that means for Hawkeyes

“Coach Lester is just doing an incredible job,” Brown said. “He is very determined in everything he does. So just watch him do great with the quarterbacks throughout practice and just lead the offense. When someone makes a mistake, he runs to them and helps them correct it. I think he just has a great relationship with all the guys so he can understand where they are at and help them solve the problem at hand.”

Brown also noted the way Ferentz interacted with a particular position group.

“And then coach Ferentz is obviously an O-line guru, and watching him just get on the O-line and help them, I understand why they’re so good at that position,” Brown said.

The visit led to Brown’s commitment to Iowa and gave the Hawkeyes a much-needed addition to their quarterback room. The projected group for next season currently consists of just Brendan Sullivan, Jackson Stratton and Brown, along with incoming freshmen Jimmy Sullivan and Ryan Fitzgerald.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Brown was a 3-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class. He was originally committed to Liberty but followed Hugh Freeze when he took the head coaching job at Auburn.

In two seasons, Brown played five games for the Tigers, completing 34 of 52 passes (65.4%) for 535 yards with six touchdowns and three picks. Two of these five appearances were starting appearances – and they couldn’t have been more different.

The best game of Brown’s career came this season against New Mexico, his first career start at Auburn. In the 45-19 win, he completed 17 of 25 passes for 235 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions.

More:Iowa football’s 2025 Big Ten schedule is set. Watch the Hawkeyes’ conference games

“I was able to go out there and play freely because I knew my coaches and the players around me had confidence in me,” Brown said. “Just being able to go out there and take it in hand and get a good idea of what our game plan is and what the goal of this game was. So it’s exciting and fun to go out there and kind of swing it around.”

He started the next game against Arkansas with drastically different results. Brown threw three interceptions in the first half and was benched.

“I learned a lot from that game,” Brown said. “And I think the most important thing I can take away from this is that when you’re put in adverse situations like the ones I experienced, you learn who is resilient and who isn’t. I had to show my teammates and coaches how I would react in that moment.”

Lester, still in his first season as offensive coordinator at Iowa, has extensive knowledge of the quarterback position, having played the position himself. Brown was able to build a relationship with Lester this week.

More:Iowa football: Hawkeye quarterback Marco Lainez enters the transfer portal

“He was incredible,” Brown said of Lester. “Just a great, genuine guy who just loves the game of football. It just encourages me to learn from him and grow with him in this offense.”

In his first season at Auburn, Brown only appeared in one game, allowing him to retain a redshirt. That means he has three seasons of eligibility left, giving Lester plenty of opportunity to develop him as a quarterback.

“I would describe my game as very precise, making smart decisions quickly and being able to be a strong vertical threat,” Brown said of his abilities.

Brown is now the newest member of Iowa’s quarterback team while Lester looks to lay the foundation for the future.

“Being able to visit and see the culture that they have,” Brown said of Iowa. “And seeing them, not just from the coaches but from the players as well. And then of course sitting with Coach Lester and just “learning the offense and seeing how I can fit into it really excites me. I think this is a big step for me in my career right now and I’m really excited to be a Hawkeye.”

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