‘It’s a crazy story’: How this former Ohio State QB ended up back in Utah to play out his college career

Devin Brown, a former backup quarterback at Ohio State and Cal, has done the unthinkable in this era of NIL riches. Brown had offers from big-time football schools. Indiana wanted him to compete for the starting job vacated by the Heisman Trophy winner. Boston College wanted him as a potential starter. Ohio State wanted him to return as a backup. BYU wanted him as a backup. There were other suitors, Washington among them. Some were offering Brown NIL deals worth $800,000.

He turned them down.

He chose Weber State.

He chose an FCS school with a 17,000-seat stadium.

He chose a huge pay cut.

He chose $2,000 instead of $800,000.

“It’s a crazy story,” says Eric Kjar, Weber State’s new head football coach.

What Brown really chose, over money and prestige, was Kjar, his former high school coach.

“I want to go back and have fun and play football and do what I did last time I played for Coach Kjar,” he says.

Kjar, a rare mix of charisma, toughness, warmth and wit, made a name for himself as a high school coach in Utah. He won seven state championships — six in eight years at Corner Canyon High and one at Jordan High — one short of the all-time state record for coaches. All of this by the age of 46. He also produced two quarterbacks who were taken in the first round of the NFL draft.

Colleges had previously tried to lure him to the next level of coaching, but he chose to remain in high school, largely so he could coach his four children. But the offer of a collegiate head-coaching position is rare for a high school coach and he decided to make the big jump this winter (he’ll still be able to coach his children — sons Noah and Tate are Weber State wide receivers).

After Kjar accepted the job, Brown texted him congratulations. They joked back and forth about Brown coming to Weber. But then Brown decided to make an official visit to Weber State, mostly to see his former coach and mentor.

“I had never considered Weber,” he says. “A lot of big schools were still recruiting me. I thought I might as well visit Coach Kjar. He never thought I was serious about coming to Weber State until I actually told him I wanted to come check it out.

“We sat in his office, looking at the stadium and the mountains. We chopped it up for about an hour, one on one. We cracked jokes and talked football. We talked about what I had done (in college football) and the offense that we had run in high school and that it was going to be similar at Weber State. Once I saw the place and talked to Kjar …. It’s impossible to tell him no, because of who he is as a person, dad and coach. There’s not a better person.”

Brown took a couple of weeks to ponder his future — specifically, his education (he plans to pursue a master’s degree) and football — and talk to his family. When he was certain, he called Kjar from his apartment in California. “He asked me, ‘What are you doing?’ I said, ‘I’m packing, so I can drive to Weber tomorrow.’”

Kjar was ecstatic.

For the second time they will pair up for one season.

Brown grew up in Gilbert, Arizona, and played football for Queen Creek High under Coach Joe Germaine, a former Ohio State and NFL quarterback. He was widely recruited, and, following his junior season, Brown committed to USC. Everything was set for his senior season until Germaine took a job at another high school. Brown tried to follow him, but he was ruled ineligible because it was considered illegal recruiting. He had to leave the state if he wanted to finish his prep football career.

Brown consulted the coaches at USC. As he recalls, “They said I had two options: Move to a California high school or go to Utah — there was a great coach there, Eric Kjar. They said, ‘He runs a good system.’”

Brown, who had family living in Utah, called Kjar and, as he tells it, “Kjar didn’t want to talk to me. He wanted no part of it. He couldn’t recruit. He said if I wanted to come, this is (the date) when they would start, but he made it clear he was not bringing me in or guaranteeing me a job. I had to prove myself.”

Brown decided to go to Utah, following the same route as Jaxson Dart, who had transferred from Roy High to Corner Canyon in 2020 to play his senior year under Kjar. Dart threw for 4,683 yards and a state-record 67 touchdowns to lead Corner Canyon to a state championship and was the Deseret News’ Mr. Football recipient. He went on to play for USC and Ole Miss. He started for the New York Giants last season.

A year later, Brown replaced Dart in the Corner Canyon lineup and passed for 4,881 yards — still a Utah state record (Kjar’s quarterbacks — Brown, Dart and Zach Wilson — rank 1-3-4 in that category) and 57 touchdowns, completing 70% of his passes. The Chargers won another state championship and Brown was named MaxPreps Utah Player of the Year.

After USC coach Clay Helton was fired, Brown withdrew his commitment to that school and signed with Ohio State. He redshirted his freshman season and appeared to be the heir apparent to C.J. Stroud, but while competing for the starting job with Kyle McCord he required surgery to repair a broken finger.

McCord was given the starting job to start the 2023 season, but head coach Ryan Day stated that it was still an open competition. Then Brown tore ligaments in his right ankle. He healed enough to get the starting job for the Cotton Bowl — this time it was McCord who was sidelined by injury — but in the first quarter Brown tore a ligament again, this time in his left ankle.

McCord transferred to Syracuse in the offseason after Day announced the competition for the starting job was open again. This time Brown lost the starting job to senior Will Howard, who led Ohio State to the national championship.

Brown transferred to Cal for the 2025 season. He lost a close competition with Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who was named to the true freshman All-American team.

Brown hit the transfer portal again, this time landing at, of all places, Weber State, passing up the chance to pocket a big paycheck. The quarterback will receive a little more than $2,000 in NIL money to play for the Wildcats, according to two sources (and confirmed by Brown himself).

“He’s saved up his NIL money,” says Kjar. “He’s been smart with it.”

“I haven’t spent anything,” Brown says. “It’s all been put away. It’s been saved and invested. I’ve had good people in my corner who helped me. I set myself up pretty good. That was a big part of my decision (to go to Weber). If I take this money at these other places, I’m set for a long time, but I’ve done that. I want to go back and have fun.”

Brown has already begun to throw to the Weber State receivers in regular, informal training sessions as a prelude to spring practice. He should feel at home. Several former Corner Canyon players are on the roster, including Tate and Noah Kjar, who were record-setting, all-state receivers at Corner Canyon.

Brown will finish out his college career at Weber State, a school of 31,000 students tucked up against the Wasatch Mountains. His former quarterback-teammates — Stroud, McCord and Howard — are all in the NFL. Brown might yet have his turn. A total of five FCS quarterbacks have been taken in the last five NFL drafts. Over the years FCS schools have sent Trey Lance, Carson Wentz, Tony Romo, Joe Flacco and Steve McNair to the NFL.

The upcoming season will give Brown the opportunity to build on a limited résumé. He has thrown just 55 passes in four years of college play, completing 31 of them for 379 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions.

Brown met with NFL scouts last week in Ogden. Who knows, maybe his financial gamble will pay off, but meanwhile he’s happy to be reunited with his high school coach.