Zachariah Branch on Gunner Stockton impressions: 'I knew he was a dog'

Zachariah Branch is pretty excited to play with new Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton this season. He knew he was “a dog.”

So if these two can get on the same page, the Bulldogs offense could have some explosions this coming fall. Branch was a star at USC as a return man and wide receiver, being one of the fastest guys on the field at any time.

If there’s something that the Georgia offense wants in 2025, it’s to be dynamic. Perhaps Branch and Stockton can fulfill that role.

“I knew he was a dog since we, you know, started off in the workouts,” Branch said. “I mean, I can tell easily from, you know, the work ethic and how you prepare yourself to go out there and be the best version of yourself. I can definitely tell that, he was really trying to compete with every rep. When we’re doing conditioning, he’s really trying to win, trying to push himself to be the best version of himself. 

“And that’s what I like to surround myself around, so you know me and Gunner we clicked off pretty early, got a chance to be on the same page, ran some routes on our own time just to get that chemistry down and you know he’s been a real help for me and this offense as well.”

Branch played the last two seasons before transferring to Georgia this offseason. The defending SEC champions were the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff last year, but fell in the quarterfinals to Notre Dame.

The Bulldogs are ready to run it back and get something special in Branch. That was evident while he was with the Trojans. Last season, Branch caught 47 passes for 503 yards, one touchdown and 10.7 yards per catch. He did a little less as a punt returner as a sophomore but as a freshman, Branch had 16 punt returns for 332 yards, averaging 20.8 yards a clip and a touchdown.

Over the course of his career, Branch has 78 catches for 823 yards, three touchdowns and 10.6 yards per catch. His numbers could very well go up in 2025.

“I chose Georgia because I felt like the culture was something special,” Branch said in January. “They have a great coaching staff, the brotherhood within the program, their will to win, being prepared for the next level and being as successful as possible on and off the field was important to me.”