Iowa wide receiver Kaleb Brown is redshirting and opting out of the remainder of the 2024 season

Brown says he “will not play any more games this season”

IOWA CITY — Iowa wide receiver Kaleb Brown has opted out of the Hawkeyes' remaining games in 2024 and will take advantage of his redshirt year, he announced on social media Monday morning.

“I wish my teammates the best of luck this season and hope for continued success for the program,” Brown said in a social media post.

Brown's post didn't indicate what plans he has for the future. The next football transfer portal window opens on December 9th.

Brown transferred to Iowa from Ohio State in 2023 as a highly touted prospect and played 11 games for the Hawkeyes last season. In Iowa's final six games of the season, he had 22 receptions for 215 yards and a touchdown after having no catches in September or October.

The 5-foot-10 receiver from Chicago played a much more limited role this season. He appeared in three games and had one reception for 18 yards. According to Pro Football Focus, he took 19 snaps this season, including just one in Iowa's Week 4 win over Minnesota.

Offensive coordinator Tim Lester said during the bye week that Iowa “has to find ways to get him the ball.”

“We targeted him a few times, but he just didn't run the course quite the way we expected him to,” Lester said.

Brown was listed as “out” on the Hawkeyes' availability report before the game against Ohio State, which Kirk Ferentz later attributed to a “soft tissue injury” in practice. Brown also missed Iowa's season opener as a result of his OWI arrest this summer, serving a one-game suspension.

Players can appear in up to four games while still practicing for a redshirt year. He still had his redshirt year available as he appeared in five games as a true freshman at Ohio State in 2022. Brown has two years of eligibility remaining.

A spokesman for the Iowa football team did not immediately comment on Brown's decision or his status with the team. Ferentz's weekly press conference will take place on Tuesday at 12:45 p.m

Brown's announcement, coinciding with his 21st birthday, follows a trend of college athletes opting out midseason while using the four-game redshirt rule to preserve their eligibility.

This notably happened at UNLV, where quarterback Matthew Sluka and running back Michael Allen have opted out of the remainder of their 2024 seasons. (Brown and Sluka had exactly the same opening sentences in their announcements: “I have decided to take advantage of my redshirt year and will not play in any further games this season.”)

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