Five-star breaks down Oklahoma trip

MORE OKLAHOMA: SoonerScoop.com

Max Browne is the top-rated quarterback in the 2013 class by Rivals.com and the Sammamish (Wash.) Skyline standout said he received five-star treatment during his recent visit to Oklahoma.

Coming into the visit, Browne had a lot of questions about the program, about Norman and about the coaching staff. All of them were answered and the five-star quarterback said the Sooners will be strongly considered as his recruitment continues.

"When I scheduled the visit I knew I was excited about the Oklahoma offer and what they had to offer on paper but I didn't know what to expect especially from the town of Norman but I got there and left really excited," Browne said.

"It's definitely different but not in a bad way. I could see myself living there. The people were great, that's what I noticed the most, whether it was the everyday citizen or the players on the team. All the guys were introducing themselves to me and they were really friendly.

"It was a great experience. They really embrace the family aspect of college football and you can tell they really work hard to get after it. It's a special place and a great place to play football."

Browne, ranked No. 8 overall in the early 2013 rankings by Rivals.com, had lengthy conversations with coach Bob Stoops and co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Josh Heupel during the trip. Both coaches were immensely impressive and could be one of the biggest reasons why Browne has Oklahoma under such strong consideration.

When it came to football talk, Browne chatted more with Heupel. Stoops talked with Browne more about the Oklahoma experience and other unrelated things to get him comfortable with the program. Browne said he left with a good sense of how Stoops runs his team and he appreciated it.

"I didn't talk a whole lot of offense with Stoops," Browne said. "He talked about everything besides that but he definitely mentioned that there is a quarterback tradition there. Coach Heupel was the guy who really assured me that they'll take care of me at the quarterback position if I go there. It all started with himself when he led them to a national championship. He didn't say it but you can tell with all the records and the trophies that there is a great tradition there.

"They assured me if I go there I'd have success. They said they've never had a five-star guy play yet and they are very excited about what I have to offer and my high school runs a very similar system so I would be able to adapt quickly. I'm excited about what they have to offer there."

Browne, who has thrown for 8,216 yards with 95 touchdowns and 20 interceptions in his sophomore and junior seasons combined, said he was especially impressed with talking to Stoops throughout the trip.

"You can tell he's a great coach, that showed, but you can tell he's a great person, too," Browne said.

"Going down there, all I heard about coach Stoops were great things and I was reassured about that once I left my visit. He's very inclusive and I was busy from the time I got there in the morning to the time I left at night. They definitely showed they were interested in me and wanted me to be a Sooner."

The next step for Browne is still unclear. He could visit Alabama and he might visit USC again - he went to the Trojans' recent junior day - but neither trip is solidified yet. Browne said he remains open to all options but would like to have his decision made sometime this spring or summer.

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