Max Browne committed to USC last night, giving the Trojans the best overall quarterback in this year's class. Having one four star and two five star recruits battle to be the next Trojan elite? I guess those are what you call SC problems.
Watch Browne on tape, and it doesn't take long to realize why he's the number one quarterback in the country. He possesses an elite arm that can scatter the football all over the field. He makes clean drops in the pocket and can run the half-rollouts and bootlegs the Trojans have run since forever. He even possesses a mobile element that will allow him to run on occasion and more importantly improvise and find his secondary reads. And there's no doubt Browne progresses through many of his reads when given the opportunity. He seems one of the most ready prospects in years to hit the field and operate a college offense with high proficiency.
There is one concern, and it's the reliance on the shotgun spread. It's still a pro-style offense, but Browne rarely operates under center, meaning that he spends most of his time in three step drops and quick hitting plays which minimize the pressure he generally feels. Plenty devastating in college, but it'd be nice to see Browne work from a more multiple offense that puts more emphasis on the running back. It's not likely Browne will ever run a true shotgun spread in college unless Lane Kiffin really decides to anchor the USC offense in that direction, so it'd be nice to see him in more formations. That might be the learning curve he has to deal with, although it's hardly a black mark--most quarterbacks these days (even the elite one) run more spread in high school than ever. It might have to be the coaches that do the adapting to the quarterback, not the other way around.
The Trojans will now have three quarterbacks to choose from to try and replace Matt Barkley when he moves on to the NFL. Max Wittek and Cody Kessler figure to be the primary competitors (as they fight for the backup spot this season) while Browne is the dark horse. I guess USC's problems are the rest of the Pac-12's envy.
It also goes to show you that regardless of year or sanctions, USC will always land their share of top recruits. The allure remains too strong to keep the tradition going and get those championships flowing. Browne might not even have to recruit other guys to come and join him. SC sells itself.