Written by Andie Hagemann, USC blog contributor
Who will replace Matt Barkley and be the next starting quarterback for the USC Trojans? It has been the biggest question mark on the USC depth chart since the conclusion of the 2012 season. One week of spring ball remains and head coach Lane Kiffin has yet to name a starting quarterback.
Luckily, Kiffin has three talented quarterbacks waiting in the wings: Max Wittek, Cody Kessler and Max Browne.
Spring ball began with a rough start for redshirt sophomore Max Wittek after he suffered a knee injury within the first week. "I am incredibly blessed that my knee injury was not that bad and that I was able to come back as fast as I did," Wittek said.
Wittek is the most experienced quarterback in the Trojans' arsenal as he started against Notre Dame and Georgia Tech last season. "Any game experience that you can ever gain is going to be good, especially as such a young quarterback last year," he said. "Having made so many mistakes here and there during the game, I have been able to watch myself and learn from those mistakes. I am making sure that I never make those mistakes again and having game experience has really helped me more than anything."
After two seasons as the understudy to Barkley, Wittek admires the humility of his predecessor and aims to carry himself the same way. "There are some simple things that he has told me over the years. Most of it is off the field stuff because the on the field stuff takes care of itself," Wittek said. "Being able to watch a guy like that and how he had such an incredible amount of hype and press and how he remained humble through that entire process was good to watch."
For Wittek, he is not solely focused on the quarterback competition. Rather, he is enjoying what spring ball has to offer and the opportunity to help his team continue to improve. "It is just awesome being out here with these guys, running with the ones and twos," Wittek said. "We are all putting in the same work and we are getting timing with a lot of different receivers and lineman. I really think that is what spring football is for. Being able to be out here and put the ball up for these guys has been a blast."
Fellow redshirt sophomore Cody Kessler is also taking the team first approach. "I try to not focus on little things because if you start to do that, then the team is not going to get better," Kessler said. "Everyone can do better every day with themselves but at the same time, it is a group thing. If I came out here every day and just looked at myself and how I did and didn't worry about the receivers or our line, our team would not improve. All three of us know that we are competing for a spot and you have to block that out and stay focused on the other stuff and the team aspect of it."
Who will replace Matt Barkley and be the next starting quarterback for the USC Trojans? It has been the biggest question mark on the USC depth chart since the conclusion of the 2012 season. One week of spring ball remains and head coach Lane Kiffin has yet to name a starting quarterback.
Luckily, Kiffin has three talented quarterbacks waiting in the wings: Max Wittek, Cody Kessler and Max Browne.Spring ball began with a rough start for redshirt sophomore Max Wittek after he suffered a knee injury within the first week. "I am incredibly blessed that my knee injury was not that bad and that I was able to come back as fast as I did," Wittek said.
Wittek is the most experienced quarterback in the Trojans' arsenal as he started against Notre Dame and Georgia Tech last season. "Any game experience that you can ever gain is going to be good, especially as such a young quarterback last year," he said. "Having made so many mistakes here and there during the game, I have been able to watch myself and learn from those mistakes. I am making sure that I never make those mistakes again and having game experience has really helped me more than anything."
After two seasons as the understudy to Barkley, Wittek admires the humility of his predecessor and aims to carry himself the same way. "There are some simple things that he has told me over the years. Most of it is off the field stuff because the on the field stuff takes care of itself," Wittek said. "Being able to watch a guy like that and how he had such an incredible amount of hype and press and how he remained humble through that entire process was good to watch."
For Wittek, he is not solely focused on the quarterback competition. Rather, he is enjoying what spring ball has to offer and the opportunity to help his team continue to improve. "It is just awesome being out here with these guys, running with the ones and twos," Wittek said. "We are all putting in the same work and we are getting timing with a lot of different receivers and lineman. I really think that is what spring football is for. Being able to be out here and put the ball up for these guys has been a blast."
Fellow redshirt sophomore Cody Kessler is also taking the team first approach. "I try to not focus on little things because if you start to do that, then the team is not going to get better," Kessler said. "Everyone can do better every day with themselves but at the same time, it is a group thing. If I came out here every day and just looked at myself and how I did and didn't worry about the receivers or our line, our team would not improve. All three of us know that we are competing for a spot and you have to block that out and stay focused on the other stuff and the team aspect of it."
With one week to go, Kessler intends to keep working on timing with the receivers and linemen. "Timing can never be perfect," Kessler said. "Timing is the biggest thing that guys end up losing. They will have a great spring going into summer and if you don't continue working on timing, then you have to start over again during fall camp."
Kessler admits that he doesn't compare himself to his two competitors. He takes every play as a learning opportunity. "I don't compare myself with what they are doing," Kessler said. "I learn from seeing what both of them do in practice. If they make a good play, I need to do that. If they make a mistake, I need to learn from that so I don't make the same mistake. It's a competition but at the same time we take it as a team. We work together and try to make each other better every day."
True freshman and early enrollee, Max Browne isn't intimidated by the current quarterback battle. The 2012 Gatorade National Player of the Year is adjusting quickly to the USC system and is taking advantage of his extra 15 practices. "I want to show I can progress. I have made my fair share of mistakes and it has been that way all spring," Browne said. "I think I have shown that I might make a mistake on a play but I am not going to make it a second time. I've noticed a little bit of progress just with snaps and cadence. This spring has been a bonus semester and a bonus 15 practices for me so I just need to utilize it."
Browne intends to focus on his game in the midst of the dramatic quarterback battle. "I'm not going to be Cody Kessler or Max Wittek. I'm going to go out there and be myself," Browne said. "I'm farther behind the other guys because they have been here for two years. As long as I can just play my game and do my best, that is all I could ask for."
Wittek, Kessler and Browne have two practices remaining before their final showcase in Saturday's Spring Game. Though the next USC quarterback remains undetermined, the Trojans are in good hands or arms thereof.
Kessler admits that he doesn't compare himself to his two competitors. He takes every play as a learning opportunity. "I don't compare myself with what they are doing," Kessler said. "I learn from seeing what both of them do in practice. If they make a good play, I need to do that. If they make a mistake, I need to learn from that so I don't make the same mistake. It's a competition but at the same time we take it as a team. We work together and try to make each other better every day."True freshman and early enrollee, Max Browne isn't intimidated by the current quarterback battle. The 2012 Gatorade National Player of the Year is adjusting quickly to the USC system and is taking advantage of his extra 15 practices. "I want to show I can progress. I have made my fair share of mistakes and it has been that way all spring," Browne said. "I think I have shown that I might make a mistake on a play but I am not going to make it a second time. I've noticed a little bit of progress just with snaps and cadence. This spring has been a bonus semester and a bonus 15 practices for me so I just need to utilize it."
Browne intends to focus on his game in the midst of the dramatic quarterback battle. "I'm not going to be Cody Kessler or Max Wittek. I'm going to go out there and be myself," Browne said. "I'm farther behind the other guys because they have been here for two years. As long as I can just play my game and do my best, that is all I could ask for."
Wittek, Kessler and Browne have two practices remaining before their final showcase in Saturday's Spring Game. Though the next USC quarterback remains undetermined, the Trojans are in good hands or arms thereof.
