Another great local prospect (H.S. Football)

giddyup

Max Browne who took over from Jake Heaps (who himself was a top prospect....but that has not worked out so well for him) at one of our local High Schools is named Gatorade National Football Player of the Year.

This guy has won back to back State titles and passed the all-time record for career passing yards in this years final.

He's quitting H.S. early and starting in USC in January. Russel Wilson was at the school yesterday to surprise him with the news and trophy. Check the pictures for a laugh on the height differential.

One to watch (note that I said that about Jake Heaps too).

http://seattletimes.com/html/highschoolsports/2019928018_browne19.html

Paully D

Cheers for posting that mate, I'll keep an eye out for him.

Rivals.com profile of him:

http://rivals.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/player-Max-Browne-115733;_ylt=AoNNmZg8aGxAhTxaEOZigCBGPZB4

Scout.com profile:

http://recruiting.scout.com/a.z?s=73&p=8&c=1&nid=4791604

Browne has every physical tool you could want and the intangibles to match. Has a great frame, moves around better than given credit for and can make every throw. Mechanically, you could do an instruction video on him as his ball placement, release, and drops are college level right now. Doesn't get rattled, shows great poise in the pocket and is already adept going through his progressions and finding his secondary options

And finally, Bleacher Report full scouting profile:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1379329-max-browne-complete-scouting-report-of-usc-5-star-qb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGBwmz9KW14

Positives

The first time I watched film on Browne, he instantly reminded me of a mixture between Ben Roethlisberger's size and Aaron Rodgers' accuracy on the run.

Browne displays ideal height and size for an elite quarterback at 6'5'', 215 pounds. He has very good arm strength and a natural throwing motion. He has very good footwork in the pocket and is a fundamental passer, but where he really stands out is his ability to escape the pocket and throw on the run.

For being a pocket passer, he's extremely proficient as a runner as well. He has very good pocket presence and awareness and can extend the play once the pocket breaks down. Much like Rodgers in the NFL, he's extremely accurate when throwing on the run. He doesn't need to have his feet set to make good throws.

He can throw off his back foot or moving laterally. A lot of this skill comes from his great arm strength, and it's also derived from his vision, as his eyes are constantly downfield, searching for a receiver to get open.

In the play below, you can get a good idea of his ability to make things happen outside of the pocket. When the play first starts out, notice how he has good protection, his eyes are upfield and he's standing tall in the pocket.

As soon he feels the pocket starting to break down, though, he immediately starts moving into his running line, but notice how his eyes are still up-field looking for a receiver. This is what really makes him special as a quarterback on the run.

Finally, he makes a good throw with enough zip to get to the receiver quick but with enough touch to make it an easy catch. Notice how he makes the throw without being set with his feet planted, which is key to being able to throw outside of the pocket.

Browne's ability to move around and make things happen outside of the pocket is going to make him a tough quarterback to stop at the college level.

Negatives

There certainly isn't a lot to talk about from a negative standpoint in regards to Browne. He's a 5-star quarterback for a reason, and that's because he has all the tools that make him stand out above the rest.

If there was one thing I would critique, it would be his deep throw. He does a great job of getting air underneath it and giving it good touch, but at the college level, defenders and especially safeties, are going to be much quicker.

Browne will have to learn how to combine his touch and velocity into one throw. He won't be able to trust that his receivers can outrun the defense at the college level, so he won't be able to float as many deep balls.

Projection

I firmly believe that Browne has all the intangibles and skills to be the next elite quarterback in a long line of great quarterbacks for USC. He has the size to be a top-notch NFL quarterback, let alone a college quarterback, and that plus his skill set will allow him to be great at the college level.

He'll have a shot to come in right away and compete for time with Matt Barkley leaving for the NFL, though it may be a smarter option to let him spend a year or two on the bench developing his skills.

When the time does come, though, Browne will be yet another big name for the USC Trojans under center. He'll be one of the better quarterbacks in the nation for USC.