Three Trojans snap right to it in USC quarterback competition Cody Kessler's most noteworthy play for USC came last season after the quarterback was told by coaches to wear a different jersey number on special teams in the first half against Colorado. He was the backup to Max Wittek against Notre Dame and in the season-ending Sun Bowl loss to Georgia Tech, but he did not play. So the third-year sophomore spent the last two months doing what he has always done since arriving at USC: Preparing for his opportunity. On Tuesday, in the first official practice of the post-Matt Barkley era, Kessler, fellow sophomore Max Wittek and freshman Max Browne began a competition that could extend into training camp. "It's wide open," Kessler said afterward. USC has not had a quarterback competition since 2009, when Barkley was a freshman. There is no time frame for naming a No. 1, Coach Lane Kiffin said. "We've got to find the right guy," he said, "and when we find that out, when it shows itself, then we'll decide." After the Trojans finished 7-6 last season, All-American receiver Marqise Lee said the team got a chance to start over. "Brand-new," he said, "new slate." Lee, who established a USC record with 118 receptions last season, said all of the quarterbacks did "great" in their initial bid to succeed Barkley. "They all throw a little bit different," he said. So I've just got to get that chemistry. Wittek possesses the most game experience. He played fairly well in the loss to Notre Dame but struggled against Georgia Tech. On Tuesday, he looked and sounded confident. "Any time you can get experience," he said, "it's a good thing - good or bad." Kessler was on his way to being named the most valuable player of the day, Kiffin said, before redshirt freshman lineman Jabari Ruffin leaped to intercept a Kessler pass. Nevertheless, Kessler got off to a good start. "Cody really shined and made a lot of plays that were out of rhythm," Kiffin said. Browne, who said he had "first-day struggles," mainly played out of the shotgun formation in high school, so he is adjusting to taking snaps from under center. "The footwork is not totally new," he said, "but as far as getting under there, that's something I've got to get used to quickly."