Former Auburn quarterback Hank Brown is getting his shot at Iowa, and he wasted no time showing why the Hawkeyes handed him the job to open 2026.
Brown, who transferred to Iowa before the 2025 season, didn’t see much of the field last year and finished with just 107 yards. He stayed put after the season instead of looking for another move, then earned the starting nod for Iowa’s Week 1 game against Northern Illinois.
He helped get Iowa moving early, connecting with Tony Diaz for a first-quarter touchdown against the Huskies.
Brown’s path to this point has been a winding one. A 3-star quarterback in the 2023 class, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, he picked Auburn over offers from schools including Illinois, Minnesota, and Pitsburgh. But in his two years with the Tigers, he never locked down the job as the program’s quarterback of the future.
His numbers at Auburn tell the story of a player who flashed but never fully broke through: 535 passing yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions.
Iowa brought him in last season, and while his role was again limited, Brown apparently did enough behind the scenes and throughout the offseason to convince the staff he was ready for the next step. That matters for a Hawkeyes program that has had quarterback issues for many seasons.
If Brown settles in and plays well, Iowa could become a dark horse team in the B1G.
The challenge ramps up quickly. After Northern Illinois, Brown and the Hawkeyes turn around to host Iowa State in the annual Cy-Hawk game in Week 2.
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For Auburn, the loss is less about one players production and more about the depth chart it leaves behind. The Tigers had enough talent in the secondary to make snaps hard to come by, but every exit tightens the margin for error as the program heads into a new season and tries to sort out who will be ready to step into bigger roles. [Read more 🡒]
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For Auburn, the intrigue is less about that one date than what comes after it. A vote by SEC presidents and chancellors would help determine whether the Tigers longtime league rival stays in the conference picture at all, while LSU has also reportedly passed on adding two former NFL players to its roster. Until the decision is made, the whole situation hangs over the SEC like a very real test case for how far the league is willing to go. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Cain Just Gave Auburn A New Weapon To Watch
Bryce Cain did a little bit of everything in Auburns season-opening 17-16 win over Baylor, and that was exactly the point. The receiver-turned-all-purpose contributor showed up on special teams and offense, making a key punt coverage tackle before breaking free on a 25-yard reverse that helped set up a touchdown. It was the kind of opener that can quickly turn a role player into someone worth tracking every week.
Auburn coach Alex Golesh has already noticed the versatility, with Cain also spending time working at defensive back and flashing the sort of playmaking presence that can travel in different spots. For a team that needed every edge it could find in a one-point game, Cains early imprint stood out, and the bigger question now is how much more Auburn can ask him to handle as the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]