 Branch ahead of the 2024 Vegas Kickoff Classic | |
| Georgia Bulldogs–No. 1 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Wide receiver Return specialist |
| Class | Junior |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | March 29, 2004 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College | |
| High school | Bishop Gorman (NV) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Zachariah Branch (born March 29, 2004) [1] is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Georgia Bulldogs. He previously played for the USC Trojans.
Branch was born on March 29, 2004, the youngest of two sons to Sheve and Renee Branch. [2] His father is a sports performance coach. [2] Branch and his brother grew up attending USC football games. [2] Branch was raised in Las Vegas and attended Bishop Gorman High School. [3] He was one of the top players in the 2023 college football recruiting class, ranked No. 6 nationally by ESPN and No. 9 by 247Sports. He was the top wide receiver in the class. [4] [5]
Branch enrolled at the University of Southern California in early 2023. [6] [7] In June 2023, he was recorded on a treadmill sprint at 26 miles per hour, close to Usain Bolt's top speed. [8] Prior to the start of the 2023 season, he was selected by 247Sports as a true freshman preseason All-American. [9] In his college football debut, Branch tallied 232 all-purpose yards, including his first touchdown reception and a 96-yard kickoff return. [10] [11] Following his first game, the Los Angeles Times wrote that his "feats had even his opponents in awe", [10] and his speed and ability to change direction drew comparisons to Reggie Bush. [12] [13]
In December 2024, Branch entered the transfer portal. [14]
On January 5, 2025, Branch announced his decision to transfer to the University of Georgia to play for the Georgia Bulldogs, alongside his brother, Zion. [15]
| Season | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Kick Returns | Punt Returns | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | Att | Yards | Avg | TD | Ret | Yards | Avg | TD | Ret | Yards | Avg | TD | |||
| USC Trojans | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 11 | 31 | 320 | 10.3 | 2 | 9 | 70 | 7.8 | 1 | 24 | 442 | 18.4 | 1 | 16 | 332 | 20.8 | 1 | ||
| 2024 | 12 | 47 | 503 | 10.7 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 0 | 5 | 105 | 21.0 | 0 | 13 | 74 | 5.7 | 0 | ||
| Georgia Bulldogs | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
| Career [16] | 23 | 78 | 823 | 10.6 | 3 | 11 | 87 | 7.9 | 1 | 29 | 547 | 18.9 | 1 | 29 | 406 | 14.0 | 1 | ||
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