Max Browne Named USC Starting QB: Latest Details and Reaction

USC has named redshirt junior quarterback Max Browne the starter for the upcoming 2016 season, the team announced Saturday:

He beat out redshirt freshman Sam Darnold for the starting nod, as he'll look to expand upon his 11 games of college experience throughout his first two years of playing time. 

Behind Cody Kessler, who was drafted in the third round by the Cleveland Browns in April, Browne attempted just 19 passes with the Trojans. 

He was originally the favorite to win the job after Kessler's departure. When speaking with Zach Helfand of the Los Angeles Times on July 14, USC head coach Clay Helton said that if the season started that day, Browne would have been the starter. 

But Darnold mounted a charge in training camp and made it "surprisingly tight," per Helfand on Friday. Helton even disclosed to Helfand that he never expected the decision would be so difficult. 

What could have made the choice so difficult were the types of games these two quarterbacks offered. Browne plays similarly to Kessler, which could suit a pro-style passing offense. 

He's not the most agile athlete and doesn't have overly quick feet, but he thrives in dropback situations where he can hit receivers anywhere on the field. 

Darnold, on the other hand, brings added agility to the position as more of a dual threat. On top of that, he would have been able to provide stability at the position as a four-year starter:

But now it's Browne who is tasked with trying to lead the turnaround at USC in Helton's first full season after the Trojans went 8-6 last year. One of the most storied programs in college football, USC hasn't won 10 games since 2013 and hasn't been in a big-time bowl game since a Rose Bowl appearance in 2008. 

With their top rusher in Justin Davis returning for a senior season, along with having one of the most explosive wide receivers in the nation in JuJu Smith-Schuster, the Trojans have the components of a solid offense. 

It will be up to Browne to lead that unit and bring USC back up toward the top of the Pac-12. But he's in for a harsh first test, as the Trojans open up the season against the defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide on Sept. 3.