One of the more interesting graduate transfers this offseason was that of quarterback Max Browne, who made the cross-country move from USC to Pitt.
The former five-star recruit actually started the Trojans’ first three games last year but was benched in favor of Sam Darnold, who reeled off nine straight wins for the team last season. Browne figures to slide right in to replace Nathan Peterman for the Panthers but it still appears that the ending in Los Angeles still gnaws on the signal-caller a bit.
“I think I was kinda the guy that got the short end of the stick from a program that was in a tough situation. Obviously, Sam is the big name right now but if you look at our team after three weeks, it wasn’t a one player thing or one person issue,” Browne told FoxSports. “They felt they had to make a change and I got the short end of the stick. But it is what it is. I roll with that. I get it. I was pumped to see my guys do well. It was a tough one but that chapter is still open and still being written.”
Browne later said he had no regrets about his time at USC and is grateful for the memories made and the degree he earned from the place. It certainly seems like the ending didn’t go quite how he wanted -- saying it was a “crazy weird deal and it kept getting weirder” -- but that is now a driving force in him trying to succeed as Pitt’s likely new starting quarterback.
With USC set to begin the year in the top five of the polls and Browne finally getting his chance behind center, safe to say that everything could work out in the end for both parties in 2017 even it the transition wasn’t the smoothest for the quarterback.