Ohio State Five-Star QB Devin Brown Switches To Unusual Number With Cool History That Will Require Some Getting Used To

As Ohio State opened spring ball on Monday, what is expected to be a six-month quarterback battle began. Kyle McCord and Devin Brown will fight for the starting job throughout spring practice and fall camp, but the latter looks different than he did last season.

Brown, a former five-star recruit in the class of 2022, was rocking a new number that will take some getting used to. The No. 15 jersey he wore last season is no longer.

Instead, Brown will be throwing it way back to the 1930s.

Sammy Baugh is considered the "original" quarterback. He was the first player to make the forward pass a key component of his game and went on to win two NFL championships throughout his storied 15-year career.

However, unlike the quarterbacks of today, Baugh also played safety and was a five-time NFL punting average leader. As such, where NFL signal-callers today are required to wear a uniform between 1-19, he wore No. 33.

In college, there are no such jersey number requirements for quarterbacks. Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner wore No. 98 to honor the school's first-ever Heisman Trophy winner (and war hero), for example.

Brown is going a similar route in 2023. The sophomore quarterback is honoring the 'OG QB' by wearing No. 33 in his honor.

Brown teased the move on Twitter earlier this week by changing his profile picture to show him wearing No. 33 during his youth football days.

He followed it up with a mysterious tweet about Baugh not long thereafter.

And then Brown pulled up to practice on Monday wearing Baugh's number.

His reason for wearing No. 33 is exactly what you expect. He grew up idolizing Baugh and explained that his old number only happened because his new/old number wasn't available.

Although Brown wore No. 33 growing up, seeing an Ohio State quarterback wear such a number on the field will require an adjustment period. He's going to look like a running back out there at first!

Brown and McCord will continue to fight for the starting job over the next five weeks and then pick things back up again in August. The Buckeyes could take the field with No. 33 at quarterback in 2023!