Sam Darnold Named USC Starting QB vs. Utah: Latest Comments, Reaction
After a 1-2 start to the season, the USC Trojans decided to make a change at quarterback.
On Monday, head coach Clay Helton announced freshman Sam Darnold will start Friday's game against the Utah Utes, replacing junior Max Browne under center, according to Joey Kaufman of the Orange County Register.
In three games this season, including a 52-6 loss to Alabama and a 27-10 loss to Stanford, Browne has 474 passing yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. His 112.0 passer-efficiency rating ranks 102nd in the FBS among qualified quarterbacks, per ESPN.com.
Darnold has played sparingly, but he has performed well in limited action. In three appearances, he is 14-of-22 for 136 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
According to 247Sports, the 4-star prospect was the No. 5-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the 2015 recruiting class. The San Clemente native was also the No. 21-ranked player in California and the No. 147-ranked prospect in the country.
Though many assumed Browne would be the starter coming into the year, Darnold forced the coaching staff to make a difficult decision in camp, per Zach Helfand of the Los Angeles Times.
Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports provided a quick scouting report as well as one major concern:
Meanwhile, Darnold is looking forward to getting his chance to shine, per Kaufman:
As for Browne, he isn't hopeful about getting his job back, per Helfand:
USC will hope Darnold can turn things around after a rough start to the year for a team that entered the season at No. 20 in the Associated Press Top 25.
