Caleb "C-Bo" Brown says he left his heart in the Islands.
The standout cornerback initially thought his collegiate football career was over with the University of Hawai‘i football team following the 2024 season. Following a ruling that allowed an extended year of eligibility for former junior college players such as Brown, he decided to spend the additional year in the Eastern time zone in order to give family members from Alabama more access to watch him play.
Entering the NCAA transfer portal last spring was a bittersweet experience for the 6-foot-1, 170-pound Brown, who had interest from a bevy of schools. He ultimately signed with Virginia Tech, breaking fall camp with a starting spot for the Hokies.
The 2025 season did not go as planned for Brown or the Hokies. Brown received season-ending shoulder surgery after playing just three games, while head coach Brent Pry was fired on Sept. 14. Brown received a medical hardship redshirt and was granted another year of eligibility. This time around, there was barely a choice to make. He knew he had unfinished business in Hawai‘i.
While still recovering from surgery, Brown was one of a handful of players sidelined to begin spring practice for the Rainbow Warriors earlier in the month. He recently started joining the team in on-field drills as he continues to heal. All the while, he's been all smiles knowing he's back where he belongs.
"It's just like I never left, for real. Just being back on the Island, talking with the guys again, it feels great to be back," Brown told Aloha State Daily following a recent practice. "The main reason to come back here was just the relationships I had with the coaches and them coming off a big season last year, I was really not wanting to leave in the first place, but just to be close to my family and hoping for them to just see me play my last year.
"It was kind of tough, but just being back here, just enjoying the atmosphere, enjoying the environment, it's one of a kind. It's really nothing like it. So, I'm just happy to be here."
In Brown's first stint in Mānoa, the 'Bows won five games in both 2023 and 2024. Their breakthrough under head coach Timmy Chang came in the 2025 season, where the team went 9-4 with a Hawai‘i Bowl victory. Brown was cheering the Rainbow Warriors on from afar all year.
"I would call some of the guys after the game," Brown said. "If they lost, San Jose, Fresno, I would call some of the guys. I was like, bro, y'all know you should have won that game. But, nah, I was tuned in the whole year. Like I said, it was like I never left. I never lost love for Hawai‘i, and they never lost love for me. So, I just feel like it was right to come back. I feel like I didn't need to be in that portal too long. I had a conversation with coach Chang and coach Thurman, and it was like we just started where we left off."
Brown was one of the foundational pieces for a program that was rebuilding for years under Chang. The narrative has flipped surrounding the Rainbow Warriors, who are now viewed as Mountain West contenders in 2026.
Upon returning to the team, Brown was asked if he sees more confidence among his teammates now that they've seen what they're capable of.
"Most definitely. You see the coaches walking around with their shoulders up, chest out, players feeding off of that, too. They got a chip on their shoulder," Brown said. "It's good to see guys who were the young guys when I was here but now they're the old guys. It's cool seeing them grow up and take ownership of the team and be accountable for everybody."
As the Rainbow Warriors enter their final two weeks of spring practice, Brown's recovery has continued to progress. Hawai‘i cornerbacks coach PJ Minaya says he's "a month or two" away from returning to full activity.
"He should be good to go by the season," Minaya said.
When Brown makes his full return, Minaya doesn't expect much of a learning curve. Most of all, he'll be fulfilled to be around someone he considers more than just a player he coaches.
"Me and him are real close. Before he left, I always considered him one of my guys and someone that I leaned on during the season," Minaya said. "I'm not gonna lie, it did hurt when he left, but I understand the business of college football, and then when there was the opportunity for him to come back, I think it was just kind of an easy transition, which made it a good thing.
"I think he really elevates (the secondary) because we know what type of player C-Bo is. We know what we're getting, and we know that he's a very high-caliber player. I mean, he started games in the (Power Four). Obviously, started a bunch of games for us here, so we know that he's going to bring exactly what we need going into the fall."
Brown can hardly wait to become a full practice participant in fall camp. By then, the start of a 2026 season the Rainbow Warriors feel can be a historic one will inch closer by the day.
"All the buzz going around in the nation, not just the city, not just the state, in the nation, I feel like they put the whole world on notice in that last game. But this year, I mean, we coming for it all," Brown said. "Mountain West championship, College Football Playoffs, we're just gonna bring that confidence, that experience from last year. And then we're just gonna keep on going. Level up, day in, day out, 1% better every day."
For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter.
Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
