Josh Heupel, quarterback of Oklahoma's 2000 national championship team and current co-offensive coordinator for the Sooners, visited Skyline High earlier this month.
Heupel was one of the first college coaches to stop by the Sammamish Plateau school in 2012. He won't be the last.
"We'll see more coaches in the spring," Skyline football coach Mat Taylor said. "That's when it will get real busy."
College coaches from across the country will flock to Skyline to see the quarterback some believe is the best in the class of 2013 – Max Browne.
"I can't imagine he won't be one of the most highly recruited quarterbacks in the country," said Adam Gorney, West recruiting analyst for Rivals.com.
At 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, Browne looks the part of a five-star quarterback. Strong-armed with a good presence in the pocket, he's drawn comparisons to USC quarterback and 2012 Heisman Trophy frontrunner Matt Barkley.
Browne's posted the statistics of an elite quarterback. As a junior he completed 70 percent of his passes for 4,031 yards, 45 touchdowns and only seven interceptions, leading the Spartans to the Class 4A state championship. Browne's numbers as a sophomore, his first year starting for the Spartans, were nearly as gaudy – 4,182 yards, 50 touchdowns, 13 picks and a 68.3 completion percentage.
Although Browne's statistics from the last two years are nearly identical, he made strides from his sophomore to junior seasons.
"My ability to make plays out of nothing, extend the play," he said about what he's improved on. "Not run sideline to sideline, but take a step left or right, get away from a defender and buy time."
So, it's hardly surprising that Browne has already earned an invite to the prestigious U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Six schools – Cal, Clemson, Colorado, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin – have offered scholarships. By the time Browne finishes up his junior year in June, there won't be a shortage of suitors.
"He's a national guy," Gorney said. "He'll be able to write his own ticket, go wherever he wants."
For now, Browne says no school rates above another.
"No list," he said. "There are schools I'm interested in and school's I'm interested in receiving offers from."
Browne said he plans to take unofficial visits to a few schools after basketball season. He wants to give an oral commitment before his senior football season begins in August.
Browne can turn to his family for advice, particularly older brother Mitch. By the end of Skyline's inaugural season in 1997, Mitch, then a freshman, had taken over the starting quarterback role. As a senior, he led the Spartans to their first state championship, a 42–30 win over Lakes in the Class 3A finals.
In four seasons, Skyline had gone from a 0–9 team with no seniors to undefeated state champions.
"That team," Max Browne said, "they'll go down as heroes."
More than a decade later, Mitch Browne works in corporate finance for Yahoo! in Southern California. He acknowledges that little brother no longer needs pointers from him on throwing mechanics – "He's better than I ever was," Mitch said – but he can offer other tips.
"We don't always talk X's and O's," Max Browne said, "more about the quarterback lifestyle – how to handle yourself at school, know that you're playing the best position in sports and no matter what happens, enjoy it."
Mitch Browne had the opportunity to walk-on at Washington State, but chose to play at Claremont McKenna College, a highly-regarded small liberal arts institution an hour east of Los Angeles, and focus more on academics.
Living in Southern California, Mitch doesn't get to see many games, so he relies on Max to fill him in on his performances. That doesn't always work well.
"He's almost too humble for his own good," Mitch said. "I have to pry him for information."
Being humble can only help Max in the recruiting process, which is sure to be a whirlwind.
"This is the biggest decision I'll make so far in my life," Max said. "Whenever I feel that a school is right for me, I'll pull the trigger."
Doug Pacey: 253-597-8271
doug.pacey@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/preps
Twitter: @DougPaceyTNT
NUGGETS IN WAITING: CLASS OF 2013
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | Max Browne | 6’5” | 210 | Skyline (Sammamish) |
| DL | Jaimie Bryant | 6’5” | 275 | Tumwater |
| DB | Tere Calloway | 5’11” | 175 | Seattle Prep |
| QB | Kolney Cassell | 6’2” | 205 | Eisenhower (Yakima) |
| S | Calvin Chandler | 6’2” | 205 | Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma) |
| LB | Sean Constantine | 6’3” | 215 | Bellevue |
| DB | Kahlil Dawson | 5’11” | 160 | Graham-Kapowsin |
| ATH | Isaac Dotson | 6’3” | 210 | Newport (Bellevue) |
| RB | Isaiah Flynn | 5’11” | 175 | Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma) |
| S | Jake Gall | 6’0” | 205 | Cle Elum |
| RB/LB | Myles Jack | 6’2” | 215 | Bellevue |
| QB | Sefo Liufau | 6’4” | 220 | Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma) |
| WR | Sammie Long | 6’4” | 190 | Lakes (Lakewood) |
| OLB | Joey Martarano | 6’3” | 215 | Fruitland (Idaho) |
| TE/DE | Danny Mattingly | 6’4” | 210 | Mead (Spokane) |
| WR | Marquin Russell | 6’1” | 175 | Lakes (Lakewood) |
| DB | Tatum Taylor | 5’10” | 160 | O'Dea (Seattle) |
| RB | Thomas Tyner | 6’0” | 200 | Aloha (Ore.) |
| K | Cameron VanWinkle | 5’11” | 165 | Mount Si (North Bend) |
| OT | Evan Voeller | 6’4” | 285 | West Linn (Ore.) |
Doug Pacey, staff writer
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