Ohio State football made a statement against one of the best defenses in the Big Ten on Saturday. They got off to a slow start offensively, but turned a 7-0 halftime lead into a 35-7 drubbing of Iowa in Columbus. The blowout was the latest in a string of convincing wins for Ohio State early in the season as they get ready to head into the heart of their Big Ten schedule.
After the game, Iowa lost one of their top offensive weapons. Wide receiver Kaleb Brown announced that he will be redshirting and sitting out for the remainder of the season, per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.
Ohio State football fans will be familiar with Brown, who was one of the top recruits in the class of 2022 and started his career with the Buckeyes. He transferred to Iowa before the 2023 season and caught 22 balls for the Hawkeyes last season. His role has shrunk this season with just one catch for 18 yards.
Brown's decline in usage could have to do with a lot of factors, one of which is his off-field issues. In June, the wide receiver was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated and having a fake ID, according to Chad Leistikow of the Des Moines Register. Brown was suspended one game for the incident, and then appeared in Iowa's next three contests before missing the Ohio State game due to injury.
It is unclear whether Brown intends to enter the transfer portal at the end of the season, but that seems to be the assumption with a majority of these players that are redshirting. However, it was not specified whether that is the case here. If it is, Brown is still a talented wideout who would be worth a flier for a smaller program in need of talent at the position. It looked like Iowa may be that place for Brown, but it wasn't meant to be.