USC Morning Buzz: Quarterback Max Browne Waits For Next Move

Posted on by

browne-ala-3

USC quarterback Max Browne said he does not know yet which schools he will consider when he transfers in this column. Does Browne wish he transferred earlier knowing that Sam Darnold would be the starter?

“I feel like I made the right decision with the information I had,” he said.

Darnold threw one interception during August training camp. Browne threw six. Was it really that hard to name a freshman the starter?

Coaches also like insurance policies, however, and that probably played a bigger role in the decision to name Browne the starter against Alabama. Did Clay Helton want to start the season with Jalen Greene and Matt Fink as his backup quarterbacks to Darnold? Not a chance. Full story here

56 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: Quarterback Max Browne Waits For Next Move”

  1. Max seems to be a genuinely nice guy, probably like Gomer. But alas, football is a fiercely competitive sport, and being “nice guys” alone doesn’t necessarily produce victories. Only those who are well accomplished in their skill-sets and coaching abilities do, even though that’s not to say successful players and coaches need to be sinister or vicious. With that said, I wish Max the very best wherever he is going to and whatever goals he’ll be pursuing. After all, he’s a Trojan, and a Trojan for life!!! FIGHT ON!!!

    • Browne gave it his all and will leave SC with a grad degree in business if not a valuable starting QB experience. As Tee Martin told the L.A. Times, Darnold simply has God-given talent and a special feel for the game which Browne doesn’t.

      Hopefully Browne finds a program he really likes which needs his abilities and he can start for a year so he can develop what he’s got. Wish him the best!

    • Max Browne is probably better suited for a more traditional offense, because unless you have a special talent, then you will fall victim to that spread.

      • I dunno about that. In a pro-style, play-action under-center offense Max might look a lot like Goff does with the Rams: indecisive and weak armed. I am not sure Max has the arm strength to throw the deep out or to fit the ball into tight windows.

        I can see Max doing better in the Air Raid offense. You don’t need a strong arm: Kliff Kingsbury and Graham Harrell proved that. Find the gaps in the defense and lob the ball in there. With five receivers 60-70 times a game, there are a lot of gaps to exploit.

        If I were Max I would high tail up to Wazzou right after the regular season

  2. So your saying Helton threw away the first 3 games of the season so he could be assured he would have a good back up QB? That would be something Saban, Meyers, or Harbaugh would do. Helton’s problem is that he is a nice guy and thought Browne deserved a shot to start. The days of the statue QB who stand in the pocket are over.

    • Thank you ! You see Saban aint playing. He put that Freshman athletic guy in and he handled up. No more Max Prep Allstar American Idol WORST ATHLETES ON THE TEAM ,STIFF NON MOBIL Qb’s please.

  3. Technically, Max Browne should have transferred a year after Cody Kessler was named the starter, because they were both in the same signing class. If you want a USC degree, and want to be around the program then stay. But if you want a chance to get on the field and experience playing college football, then transfer to a school that best fits your situation. Because it has nothing to do with running from competition in most cases, which is the card selfish coaches like to play. Sometimes coaches over recruit certain positions, and the players have no choice but to leave . Pete Carroll signed five top running backs over a two year period, and had a problem when two of them eventually transferred, now that’s selfish.

    • Sometimes these USC players have simply been over-rated as preps by the fan boy sites and the general media spreads those false evaluations about. Highlight tape evals are just that – highlights only.

      They can transfer wherever they want but they often won’t necessarily excel (very rare actually) or even play. If a prospect wants to sign into an over-recruited position, he knows going in only so many can play.

      Carroll was one of USC’s most incredible recruiters ever. When he placed the program first, SC ruled the college football world. Those days are long gone. Waiting for another domination era is an interesting combination of futility and hope.

      • It’s kinda funny, but during the Pete Carroll era, USC really didn’t produce alot of high draft picks across the offensive line. And that’s surprising, considering how dominating they were. Winston Justice is the only one that comes to mind, but maybe there were others, I just can’t think of them right now. Carroll did admit after he left, that he missed on quite a few linemen his last few years at USC.

        • And Justice was a huge bust even for a 2nd rd pick. Tyron Smith was a 1st rd pick. Ryan Kalil was a 2nd rd pick, Lutui was a 2nd rd pick. K Homes was a 4th rd pick and Matt Kalil was a 1st rd pick and that was it for OL under PC. Carroll also never seemed to get a top CB

  4. I’m not going to lie and say I knew Browne had no future at SC. When he signed with the Trojans I was ecstatic. He was there on TV showing ability in a quarterback compition and he looked like the man with the golden arm.
    Then they started inserting him in games to get him experience and poof….nothing.
    He has not grown in the position. If he transfers, I wish him luck. If he wants to be a pro, then he needs to become a grown-up version of his high school self.

  5. For the umpteen time – interceptions during practice is not how one selects the starting QB.

    • It was based on keeping max from transferring and not having a somewhat experienced(not much of that) backup.

    • I would have gone with Browne – hindsight is 20/20, it was an almost impossible choice to make at the time – and what if Sam got hurt? There was also that

      But, then again, Im just going by what’s on paper, I didnt see many practices

      • Not giving Browne an opportunity also sends a bad message to recruits that you can be in the program for 3 years and never get a chance.

        • Please. It sends a bad message by starting Browne and doing Jaleen Green like that. I dont think recruits is concerned about Browne lol. Green and all his Serra teamates will have concern along with all the other true athletes. I think your highly confused.

  6. Browne’s development as a effective college football Quarterback was a challenge due to coaching changes and offensive systems that were not suited to his style and comfort level. He stayed in the program to get his degree and hoped this was his chance to lead.. You can blame Helton and the O-staff for not putting him in the right situation to be successful. Hopefully he finds himself in a program that fits his game. We are blessed to have Sam Darnold, He is the right guy for the current system in place, to lead us in the right direction.

    • Right situation ? He needed to compete period and got beat out by a Freshman and Politics with Green. He aint starting in Div 1 period for nobody way to stiff. But props to what he has done at USC just getting there even though it was politics rated him number #1 coming out of High School. Those rating systems are flawed and dont mean nothing. They get it half right because when you see talent thats what it is talent that it !

      • You obviously have no idea what you are talking about.. Lol. Green is NOT a D1 QB or he would be one. Browne’s transition from HS football to college football was compromised by his inability to get actual game time reps and experience. You can not through a guy into the fire, who has literally sat on the bench his entire college career.. Darnold’s learning curve was shorter, therefore, his learning curve from HS football to college football was easier for him to adapt in moving forward the process was easier..

        • I don’t think it’s quite that simple. Kessler was no great QB, and Browne didn’t really challenge. How come?

          • With Kessler, the coaches, went with the experience and stability, and also never opened up the position as a component for competition. Kessler was the guy to lead them. Playing under 5 head coaches, gotta give Kessler props for not leaving the program. His stats were good even with all the chaos surrounding the program.

          • Bad decision makers in the admin cost USC.Kessler played under the sanctions of the NCAA. Two of those year he played, USC was ineligible to play in the championship game. The other was roster issues. Can’t win championships with a depleted roster and again ..an admin that failed to hire a competent head coach to lead them.

          • He must be a relative. Kessler, Barkley smh was there because of politics too. All these great California athletic qb’s has never got a chance to play that position. WHY ? POLITICS THATS WHY !

        • You dont know nothing about football. Green was given a bad deal period. Hes better than Darnold now. Usc just didnt want that culture qb thats putting it nice. You know and the whole world knows it. You cant cover this up. Browne had no place being a USC qb. If he couldnt beat out Kessler ? Really LMAO ! We had the worst qb’s in college in the last 10 years very over rated stiff slow and cant throw. Green can do all of those things but never got the chance because of politics. People like you are going to hurt us in recruiting in the near future. Kids see the politics. yOUR NOT IN THE 60’S AND 70’S ANYMORE !

          • Lol..Whatever you say sock puppet.. I have forgotten more than you will ever know about football. Green is NOT a D1 quarterback. If he was, he would be playing at USC or somewhere else.

          • Must be breakfast time at County lockup. Rape On clueless idiot. I know who you are. Sucks being a known rapist. Seek help rapist, you really need help!

          • And if you pay attention to my comments, I have said, USC culture is still off. They need a mobile black quarterback, that will move them as a destination for recruits to consider us as a choice. Even a black head coach because of the area. USC is only hurting themselves. But knowing the game as I do, playing is part of knowing it too. I am 53. Was recruited by USC in football and baseball.

      • KEEP IT REAL, You have no idea what you are talking about. Max Browne can definitely start in Division 1 NCAA Football. Starting Max against Utah may have won the game. He would of had much better OL protection than at Bama or Stanford which should have resulted in fewer 3 and outs in the 3rd and 4th quarters.

        • Lol. How is he going to start for ? Not Usc. Get off the Browne bandwagon. Maybe in the early 90’s. Todays game has changed just like basketball you need athletes period !

  7. In this era of 24/7 sports talk, blogs, and social media Sam Browne seemingly has not had one public misstep. He has handled an unbelievably tough situation with class and dignity. He is to be commended.

  8. He’s got a degree from a top university, it will serve him well the rest of his life. He just wasn’t good enough to beat out either Kessler or Darnold. He’s not the one who rated him #1, that was the dorks who probably never played sports in their lives. He’s said nothing, he’s been a good teammate, good luck to him wherever he goes and hopefully he’s a success in whatever field of employment he chooses.

  10. I read the colum at the bottom of the story. You must be out of your mind. Green and Fink is way better than Browne. Get off the Browne American Idol bandwagon lol. Thats like playing PacMan. Those days are over. Keep Fink and move Green to Qb and start recruitng real football players not 1970′ system players PLEASE !. I should be a writter for this site. Worried about Browne smh lol !

  11. Agree with all the comments on Max Browne being a great team player and getting his degree. The major “problem” this year was Helton. Browne was never given the full vote of confidence. From day one, here was a starter who would be replaced in the red zone by the back-up and would be brought in as a situation dictated [e.g. 3rd and 1 with RPO]. That really looks good on the resume and stats sheet, doesn’t it! Browne should’ve transferred right then and there. He was being set up for failure on a personal level. Being the team guy, he probably figured that with team success, all would be well. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. I wish Max all the best in his future but also understand that he might be back as a starter given the unpredicatble nature of football & injuries.

  13. I appreciate SC gave him opportunity, too bad it was for too long. Bama made the change game 1…that is the difference,like sliding instead of scoring, not gonna’happen at a Bama game..they are ‘killers’ SC used to be that way, in your face smash mouth. CHOOSE…and live with it.

Comments are closed.