What to Know About Cowboys QB Dru Brown as he Prepares for First OSU Start

With redshirt freshman quarterback Spencer Sanders out for the regular season (and maybe longer) after undergoing thumb surgery this week, it’s Dru Brown’s job for the foreseeable future. The graduate transfer from Hawaii has played sparingly in mop-up duty since his arrival at OSU, but with two regular season games left, he’ll take the reins from Sanders and be the catalyst to OSU’s offense in upcoming games against West Virginia and Oklahoma.

So who, exactly, is Dru Brown? That’s a question many of you may be asking, considering his lack of playing time and relatively unheralded arrival that came last year. Not to fear. We have you covered with everything you need to know.

1. He took the long road to OSU

The road to Brown’s first career start at Oklahoma State is years in the making. The California native was only lightly recruited out of high school, and so with little acclaim, he opted to go the junior college route. He committed to College of San Mateo out of high school and played just one season; during that 11-game season he completed 53.6 percent of his passes for 1,879 yards and 21 touchdowns, while also rushing for 188 yards and six scores.

After his time at San Mateo, Hawaii successfully recruited him. He appeared in 13 games as a sophomore in 2016 with the team, then in 2017, as a junior, he started all 12 games at quarterback for a pretty bad team. His final season at Hawaii he completed 61.7 percent of his passes, threw for 2,785 yards and scored 20 total times.

After his junior season he graduated early and transferred to OSU in hopes of playing early. Instead, last season, he took just one snap as he fell on the depth chart behind Taylor Cornelius. And that snap came in the bowl game. Due to NCAA redshirt rules, he was allowed to redshirt and return for (another) senior season in 2019.

2. Brown was highly-recruited as a grad transfer

Despite a resume on paper that doesn’t exactly jump at you — a College of San Mateo star-turned productive Hawaii signal-caller — Brown had plenty of options to choose from when he left Hawaii.

“Dru had places like Washington State, LSU and other places offer him,” Sione Finefeuiaki, who played two seasons at OSU in 2017 and 2018, told PFB in an interview earlier this summer. “I never thought that he’d actually come to OSU. I kind of [recruited him] jokingly, but we talked and found out he was serious about it and we kind of went from there.”

Finefeuiaki spoke with OSU staffer Beni Tonga to get the ball rolling on recruiting Brown. Then checked up with him again. Finally, Mike Yurcich and Mike Gundy pulled the trigger with a pursuit of him, leading to his eventual OSU commitment.

3. Brown is a Baker stan

This might irk OSU fans (or get them fired up), but it’s true: Dru Brown is a big Baker Mayfield fan.

“Guys that I try to emulate are shorter quarterbacks, obviously like Russell Wilson, Drew Brees,” Brown told the Tulsa World in a 2018 interview. “I know Oklahoma State people won’t like hearing it, but I really like the way Baker Mayfield plays. I think we kind of, again, not trying to compare, but the same passion and drive because I think we both were underrecruited, stuff like that. I really enjoyed watching him play just with the passion and you can tell it means a lot to him.”

By the way … Baker Mayfield’s measurables: 6-1, 215.

Dru Brown’s: 5-11, 200. (Same height and 15 pounds lighter than MVP frontrunner Russell Wilson. Just sayin.)

4. He’s taken up fishing since his OSU arrival

A great nugget from a preseason feature story from the inimitable Marshall Scott: Dru Brown loves to fish.

But only recently did he take up the obsession.

For four straight days Brown didn’t catch a thing, but he said he was adamant on at least catching something before he turned this new hobby down. Then he finally got one.

“As soon as I caught something, it was like an addiction,” Brown said. “We’ve gone a bunch. Obviously, camp started, so we can’t go out as much. I’m sure that me and Johnny will go as soon as we get a day off here soon.”

“If I didn’t have to sit last year, and sit behind Corn, I would have never, probably, fished ever. It’s just a blessing in disguise. Me being out here for a year, and me getting involved in things people do out here, it’s beautiful in its own way, for sure.”

5. He can ball … with his arms and legs

Look, I know highlight reels are, you know, highlight reels. But Dru Brown can ball. A true dual-threat athlete. With lackluster talent surrounding him at Hawaii, he put up pretty great production. And at OSU, he’s in line to keep that rolling. Here’s a look at the Hawaii sizzle reel. It’s pretty great.

6. He’s been solid in relief this season

Garbage time is still time, and Dru Brown has been nothing short of spectacular in relief this season. In three games he’s played in this season, he’s completed 13 of his 18 passing attempts (72.2 percent) for 223 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He’s also rushed three times for 13 yards.