Leistikow: What brought Kaleb Brown from Ohio State to Iowa, and his plans to become a star

IOWA CITY − The path of new Iowa wide receiver Kaleb Brown exemplifies how fast the college-football world moves these days.
Just 13 months ago, Brown enrolled at Ohio State as a top-100 national prospect.
Four months later, he was catching the first (and only) pass of his brief college career, a 5-yard completion in a 54-10 win against Iowa on Oct. 22.
Fast forward just 6½ months, after his first spring in the best receiver room in college football (Ohio State), and Brown found himself in a car headed west to Iowa City – with unknown possibilities awaiting him.
On the ride home a few days later, he knew. He wanted to be a Hawkeye.
So, from the car on May 4, Brown shared his newly found home on Instagram. With that press of a thumb, a huge life decision had been made. And the Hawkeyes suddenly had their highest-rated wide-receiver recruit (No. 78 by 247 Sports in the Class of 2022) of the Kirk Ferentz era.
“It was really a no-brainer,” Brown said. “I liked it, my mom liked it, my brother liked it. There was really no point in visiting these other schools.”
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And now just 2½ months later, on Tuesday inside the Hansen Football Performance Center, Brown was situated in front of Iowa media as a possible game-changer in the Hawkeyes’ passing game.
With his first official practice in a Hawkeye uniform still several weeks away, Brown spoke in depth about his journey to Iowa and his outlook while here. A wide-receiver room that has been decimated by injuries, a stream of outgoing transfers (including the likes of Charlie Jones and Keagan Johnson) and paltry production the past two seasons has found an exciting hope in Brown.
And he’s not afraid to step into high expectations, saying he expects to be an “automatic impact guy, for sure.”
At the same time, Brown understands that he has to show he can produce more than a high recruiting ranking. He is so new to the Iowa offense that he is learning from fellow redshirt freshman transfer Seth Anderson, who arrived in January and missed spring ball with a hamstring injury.
“Obviously Kaleb being a highly recruited guy is exciting for the offense,” said sixth-year senior Nico Ragaini, who reinjured his foot in the spring but said he is back full speed in summer conditioning. “I’m excited to see what he can do. I’m rooting for him. If he has any questions for me, I’m always there to help him. He’s done nothing to show me he’s not up for the challenge.”
Two questions naturally emerge.
Why Iowa?
And what can Brown do for you?
Let’s start with the decision to join the Hawkeyes. In that early-May car ride, Brown knew there was an opportunity that existed in Iowa City. Only one scholarship receiver (Diante Vines) was available to compete in Iowa’s late-April spring game. He knew how ineffective the Hawkeyes’ No. 130-ranked (out of 131) offense had been the previous season. But the camaraderie he witnessed among Iowa players opened his eyes.
“Going from a school like Ohio State, huge campus, I didn’t really know what to expect honestly,” Brown said. “It caught me by surprise how the community rolls and how we’re together here.”
He also was comforted that the same coaches at Iowa who tried to recruit him out of Chicago’s St. Rita High School were still here and still sought his services.
“Just to see the familiar faces come back and see that they’ve still got that kind of faith in me,” Brown said, “it was really all I needed to see.”
Now to the second question: How big can his impact be?
A big part, honestly, will depend on how much the refurbished Iowa offense under coordinator Brian Ferentz (and special assistant Jon Budmayr) caters to Michigan transfer quarterback Cade McNamara and the passing game. McNamara has indicated the Hawkeyes will throw the ball more than usual under his direction, especially with two outstanding tight ends in Luke Lachey and Erick All. Still, the chemistry between McNamara and Brown is critical to making this Big Ten marriage work.
That’s why Brown joined a group of 12 Hawkeye players on a mid-May trip to southern California to work out with McNamara and his private coach, Jordan Palmer, along with former NFL wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh.
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Brown felt that trip was transformative for him and the team. He’s continued to meet with McNamara frequently in the football facility as they study ways to beat defenses. Ragaini described Brown (listed at 5-foot-10, 197 pounds) as a playmaker with the ball in his hands. McNamara said simply, “He looks dang good.”
For his part, Brown thinks he can become a major contributor for the Hawkeyes, not just in the slot. He wants to work inside and outside to keep defenses guessing where he'll line up.
Brown said he’ll get to where he wants to be by the Sept. 2 opener vs. Utah State by “doing everything I’m doing right now. Pushing the limits in conditioning. (And) getting in my meetings with Cade and making sure we’re on the same page.”
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The Brown story is in its Iowa infancy. Heck, he was in high school just 14 months ago. But there is one chapter he’d love to see happen: Iowa vs. Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 2 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. He enjoyed his time with the Buckeyes, but that matchup would be a dream come true, especially if he’s playing a starring role.
“I definitely want to face them,” Brown said. “That would be great. I would love that, for sure.”