USC names Cody Kessler starting quarterback

USC quarterback Cody Kessler led the Trojans to 10 wins and a bowl victory last season. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

USC named Cody Kessler their starting quarterback to start the 2014 season, Trojans head coach Steve Sarkisian said Tuesday.

Kessler beat out redshirt freshman Max Browne, who was the No. 1 quarterback in the country coming out of Skyline High School in Washington last year.

"I'm confident we can go out and win a lot of football games with Cody Kessler as our quarterback," Sarkisian said.

Sarkisian also said that Kessler would be the starter if the team played a game this week and that every position is open to competition.

Kessler, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound junior, started all 14 games last season, throwing for 2,968 yards, completing 65 of his passes with 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions for the Trojans, who finished 10-4 after beating Fresno State 45–20 in the Las Vegas Bowl. Kessler threw for 345 yards and four touchdowns in the bowl game.

Kessler was the favorite to win the job when former quarterback Max Wittek announced that he would transfer after two seasons with the program. 

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