Two years after getting a small taste of being the Auburn Tigers' QB1, Hank Brown could be on the verge of breaking through with the Iowa Hawkeyes as their starter ahead of the 2026 College Football season.
ESPN's Max Olson has confidence that Brown, who has more of a prototypical NFL QB build than his main competitor, Wake Forest Demon Deacons transfer Jeremy Hecklinski, could more appropriately address the Hawkeyes' lack of explosive plays through the air throughout the years.
"Third-year Iowa offensive coordinator Tim Lester has an interesting decision to make between two passers who bring different playing styles to his system. Brown is a 6-foot-4 passer who started two games at Auburn and appeared in three games with the Hawkeyes last season. Lester praised his efficiency and ability to generate explosive plays this spring, an encouraging sign for an offense with the fifth-fewest 20-plus yard completions (45) in FBS since 2024. Hecklinski, a former Wake Forest transfer, is listed at 5-foot-11 and prides himself on being more of a playmaker and risk-taker. He is more unproven with 12 career snaps over his first two seasons. Lester saw encouraging improvement from both this spring and has no timetable for a decision," Olson wrote.
Hank Brown never got much of a chance at Auburn. Did Hugh Freeze make a mistake?
Hugh Freeze didn't like what he saw from Payton Thorne against the Cal Golden Bears in a shocking Week 2 loss during the 2024 season, so Brown got his chance against the New Mexico Lobos. Against far from the strongest competition, Brown still completed 68% of his passes for 235 passing yards and had four touchdown passes. Brown then had a three-interception first half against the Arkansas Razorbacks in another shocking 24-14 loss that seemingly ended any hope that season before October.
Brown never received another snap on the Plains again. He was gone, along with the rest of the QB room, by 2025. Now, with Kirk Ferentz and Co. considering giving him the reins on offense, it's fair to wonder if Freeze might've made a mistake in not giving him more chances.
It's not fair to let those thoughts get too far, though. Thorne showed why he was the starter by season's end, and frankly, Brown would've fared far worse than the 26 sacks Thorne took throughout the year. Brown's mobility was perhaps his biggest flaw. It's hard to imagine him escaping R Mason Thomas and Co. more than Thorne did. Ditto for the Georgia Bulldogs' Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins and the rest of the Dawgs that year.
Quite frankly, it's tough to see how Brown will do well in Iowa City. The Big Ten is the conference that features the quicker athletes these days. In 2026, if Brown starts, he'll be facing elite EDGE talents like the Michigan Wolverines' John Henry Daley, the Minnesota Golden Gophers' Anthony Smith, and the Ohio State Buckeyes' Kenyatta Jackson Jr. for the Hawkeyes.
We'll see if Ferentz follows through with what could be an extremely risky proposition, though one that Auburn fans would undoubtedly be intrigued by.
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