Yeah, I understand the process. And it's more of an equilization with the brine to some degree, rather than straight absorption (that's a technicality, I know). I think what I was remembering that most seasonings (garlic, etc) don't have much of an effect in a brine because the size of the compounds that have flavor are too big to penetrate the cell membranes of the meat. Of course, I could be wrong about that too.
Sodium ions are certain small enough to do so. And I fully acknowledge that salting a steak beforehand is beneficial to the end result, but I also salt afterwards, so I'm not sure the extra salt flavor is my first priority.