Zachariah Branch says Odell Beckham Jr. reached out to him after breakout performance

If you didn’t know the name Zachariah Branch before Week 0, you probably do now. The USC freshman put together a breakout performance against San Jose State, headlined by a 96-yard kick return back for a touchdown to help lead the offense.

After the game, Branch heard from plenty of people about his performance. But one message stood out above the rest.

“I look up to Odell Beckham. He actually reached out to me,” Branch said. “That was pretty cool for me. I was, like, mind blown about that one.”

Branch had a huge day to help USC past San Jose State in the 56-28 victory to open the 2023 season. In addition to his kick return, he added four receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown. It was quite the debut for the former Five Star Plus+ recruit.

But hearing from Beckham made it even more special for Branch — especially considering he tried to get in touch with him before he arrived on campus.

“[Beckham] just said just keep it up, keep going,” Branch said. “I was like, it’s crazy he actually responded because I had DM’d him before, like, a couple months ago. Way before. I was like, I don’t think he’s going to respond. But it was actually pretty cool for him to show that love.”

Zachariah Branch’s name has become a popular one after breakout performance in Week 0

Branch’s name has become a hot one around college football in the days following his big night. His On3 NIL Valuation saw a $14.3K increase and now sits at $673,000 as he nears 200,000 followers on social media. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets the standard market NIL value for high school and college athletes. A proprietary algorithm, the On3 NIL Valuation calculates an athlete’s NIL value using dynamic data points targeting three primary categories: performance, influence and exposure.

On Wednesday, Panini America announced it was signing him to a multi-year NIL deal that starts with an Instant Card commemorating his first game, On3’s Pete Nakos reported.

A higher profile is just one way Branch’s life has changed since that Saturday night in LA. Still, he’s trying to stay grounded — just as he’s tried to do his whole life.

“I don’t look at myself as just because I’m making plays that I’m superior over somebody,” Branch said. “So I always bring myself back to earth after every play, after every game, like I’m a regular, normal person.”

Branch and the Trojans will try to build off that Week 0 performance this week against Nevada. That game is coming up Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET.