COLUMBUS, Ohio — C.J. Stroud’s job with Devin Brown is to be what Justin Fields was to him: a big brother, sharing and showing the younger quarterback what he sees, something Cardale Jones even helps the redshirt sophomore quarterback with now.

In Stroud and Brown’s short time together, though, the Ohio State starting quarterback already sees something different. He sees potential.

“I think he’s going to be a Buckeye great, honestly,” Stroud said.

Stroud sees a lot of himself in Brown. He sees the intangibles: the way he moves in and around the pocket, the way he throws the ball. He sees intelligence, a player who appreciates the game and really wants to be there.

Brown knew there would be a learning curve. But he expected it to be much worse.

“Just being out in the field, I thought my athleticism would be behind,” Brown said. “I didn’t think I would be able to move around as good as I can and make some of the throws early on.”

There’s things for the freshman quarterback – who spent his senior season at Corner Canyon High School in Draper, Utah – to work on, adjustments that need to be made, with throwing windows much more narrow than he’s used to or the speed on the defensive front with the sole purpose of bringing him to the ground being so much faster.

But it’s something he’s getting used to.

“It gets better every practice,” Brown said. “Those first few snaps live, it’s like, ‘Wow, it’s coming fast.’ You got guys around your face, you can’t see routes. But it will just, over time, slow down and I’ll know where guys are at. You are never really looking at guys in front of you unless he’s right in your face, so you’ve got to trust in your O-line, trust in your running backs.”

He’s getting his share of help from those around him every day.

Brown said there’s “lots of love” in the quarterback room, soaking in all that his fellow quarterbacks know and how different their games are from his. He said it’s an environment that encourages questions, whether it’s about a blitz or a play, never feeling intimidated by seeking information from a veteran.

With head coach Ryan Day and quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis, Brown knows he’s being tested.

“They’re trying to get me flustered and trying to jump on me and see my reaction,” Brown said. “They want to see how I react. A lot of times, they’re not angry at me. They know I’m a freshman, they know I’m going to make mistakes, but they just want to know why I did things and they want me to process everything and be able to communicate everything.”

Brown’s making it work, Day says, showcasing his throwing ability and athleticism despite running with the third team during spring practice, showing improvement with each snap he receives.

“The more reps he gets the better he’s going to be,” the Ohio State head coach said.

That’s all Brown can ask for: an opportunity.

Sitting behind a Heisman finalist quarterback and likely the heir apparent to that Heisman quarterback in 2023, all the freshman can do is wait and develop, working to get ready when it’s his turn

Day’s message to Brown is the same one he has for Stroud heading into this season. It's the same message he had for the starting quarterback when he had his early-season struggles in 2021.

Stay steady.

It’s a message Brown is seizing.

“He knows it’s early on and they keep telling me, ‘Steady in the boat. Don’t ride the roller coaster,’” Brown said. “‘It’s never too high, it’s never too low. Just stay steady.’”