Pete Thamel: Zachariah Branch considered gametime decision against Notre Dame

USC star freshman wide receiver Zachariah Branch is considered a gametime decision against Notre Dame, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

At first, it looked like Branch would not be able to suit up in a pivotal game against the Irish. However, Branch made significant progress.

Still, it’s no guarantee he’ll play against Notre Dame.

“Sources: USC star freshman receiver/returner made the trip to South Bend and is considered a gametime decision against Notre Dame,” Thamel wrote on Twitter. “Branch was limited in practice all week and needed to make ‘jumps’ to play on Saturday, per Lincoln Riley.”

Branch made multiple explosive plays to start his college career. In his first game, he took a kickoff return back for a 96-yard touchdown while adding 58 receiving yards and a touchdown on offense. On the whole, Branch has 178 yards and two receiving touchdowns while taking six kickoff returns back for 171 yards and the Week 0 touchdown.

Lincoln Riley didn’t rule Branch out for the game when he met with reporters earlier this week, but confirmed he hasn’t participated in full during practice. He said it was somewhat of a wait-and-see approach.

“He’s dealing with an injury and progressing,” Riley said. “Still hasn’t been a full participant yet. I do think he’s making progress. We’ll kind of watch and see. He’s going to need to continue to make some jumps here to be ready for us. So hopefully he can continue to progress over the next few days.”

Branch was a key part of USC’s recruiting class this year. He was a Five Star Plus+ recruit, meaning he was one of the only players ranked by all four major recruiting media companies as a five-star. A product of Bishop Gorman (NV) High School, Branch was the No. 4-ranked prospect in the country from the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Nick Schultz contributed to this report