Pittsburgh Football: Breaking down the Panthers’ 2017 QB battle

The 2017 Pittsburgh football season is approaching and no quarterback has been named the starter just yet.

With the season quickly approaching, Pittsburgh football coaches have a lot to think about in terms of their depth chart. Much thought will undoubtedly go towards the quarterback position with Max Browne and Ben DiNucci trading punches for the starting job.

There’s plenty of talent to choose from, but who will Pat Narduzzi choose to lead his team during the upcoming season? Whoever is chosen for Week 1 isn’t guaranteed to finish the season as the starter, though.

Let’s take a look at the 2017 quarterback battle, with final predictions.

Option 1: Max Browne

Redshirt senior Max Browne is first up as he is the most dynamic out of the two, and also the most likely to earn the starting job. Hailed as one of the premier players at his position coming out of Skyline High School, Browne was ranked the best pro-style signal caller in his class by 247sports before announcing his commitment to USC in April of 2012.

Max Browne was never quite able to shine during his time with the Trojans, sitting behind star Cody Kessler in his first two years before being replaced by redshirt freshman Sam Darnold. Expect Browne to do whatever it takes to solidify the opportunity to showcase his skills as the premier passer for the Panthers.

In terms of his skill set, Browne has the ideal build for a prototypical quarterback, standing 6-5 and weighing in at 230 pounds. His stature correlates to a strong arm, one the Panthers will greatly appreciate after losing a similar player in Nate Peterman this past year.

Browne had everything going for him coming into college, and little has changed regarding his skill and athletic ability. Despite a small sample of playing time at USC, game tape still shows Browne to have the ability to scramble when necessary, likely due to solid pocket awareness.

With the rise of Darnold in USC, a transfer was unquestionably the right call for the current graduate student, but why Pittsburgh? There’s a good chance that his decision stemmed from the recent addition of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Shawn Watson.

Watson, former quarterbacks coach of the Indiana Hoosiers, struggled recently with quarterback Richard Lagow, but thrived in 2015 with the current Washington Redskin Nate Sudfield. Pittsburgh now hopes Watson will help Browne realize his full potential with the team in dire need of a solid season.

In terms of Browne’s chances of being the starter come game one, the job truly is his to lose. It wouldn’t be fair to say Browne ‘lost’ the job in Southern California as Darnold looks to have one of the highest ceilings seen out of a quarterback in the last few years. However, it may be time to call his career should he find himself falling behind a much smaller competitor in DiNucci.

There is a good chance that Browne thrives in his newfound home in Pittsburgh, but there is also the chance that he never quite matches the hype he received coming into college. If the latter proves to be the case, don’t be surprised if redshirt sophomore Ben DiNucci jumps in line to take his spot.