Zachariah Branch (born March 29, 2004)[1] is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the USC Trojans.
| USC Trojans – No. 1 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Wide receiver Return specialist |
| Class | Freshman |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | March 29, 2004 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
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| Bowl games | |
| High school | Bishop Gorman (NV) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| |
Early life and high school
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]
College career
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]
College statistics
| Season | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Kick Returns | Punt Returns | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | Att | Yards | Avg | TD | Ret | Yards | Avg | TD | Ret | Yards | Avg | TD | ||
| USC Trojans | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 178 | 13.7 | 2 | 3 | 31 | 10.3 | 0 | 7 | 158 | 22.6 | 1 | 6 | 171 | 28.5 | 1 | |
| Career[14] | 4 | 4 | 13 | 178 | 13.7 | 2 | 3 | 31 | 10.3 | 0 | 7 | 158 | 22.6 | 1 | 6 | 171 | 28.5 | 1 | |