Max Browne: Landing Elite QB Proves Postseason Ban Didn't Hurt USC's Image

The USC Trojans football team may have been banned from postseason play last year due to NCAA violation, but with the commitment of top quarterback prospect Max Browne, it is quite clear that the discipline didn't put a damper on USC's image.

According to Erik McKinney of WeAreSC.com, the 6'5" Sammamish Skyline signal-caller chose the Trojans over Alabama, Oklahoma and Washington at a press conference at his high school on Wednesday. This is a huge win for USC, as current quarterback Matt Barkley is entering his final year of eligibility this season.

The commitment says a lot about where USC is as a program after being banned from postseason play last year. The Trojans would have been in the hunt for the Pac-12 title, but they ultimately had to pay for their NCAA violations. While something like that might usually scare away prospects, it certainly didn't stop Browne.

It also didn't prompt Barkley to make a run for it as he could have easily entered the NFL Draft this year. Instead, he decided to stay for his senior season and that had to inspire a lot of confidence in Browne and other prospects that the Trojans might be courting.

USC has gone through a lot over the past few years in terms of NCAA investigations and the like, but the Trojans are still among the elite programs in college football and this commitment verifies that. Browne could have gone to any number of top schools, including the defending National Champion in Alabama, but he chose Southern California.

A lot of that obviously has to do with head coach Lane Kiffin as the young, energetic head man can be very persuasive, but the allure of USC is likely what drew Browne in. It has been a few years since the Trojans have been in the hunt for the National Championship, but that could change as soon as this year since all the pieces are in place.

With the two-year bowl ban finally over, things are looking up for USC once again and Browne will be a big part of the ascent back to prominence. The Trojans have been hurt over the past couple of years by having their scholarships reduced to 15, but other than that, it doesn't seem as though recruitment has been any worse than usual.

Browne's early commitment affirms that and proves that some players simply want to win and don't care about past transgressions. The NCAA violations took place under a different regime and while Kiffin was a part of the coaching staff, he wasn't the man in charge at the time.

It's hard to say whether USC is now a completely clean program, but reeling in Browne proves that the improper benefits scandal involving Reggie Bush and whoever else is now a thing of the past, and is unlikely to affect recruiting for the foreseeable future.