5-star wide receiver Zachariah Branch sets Christmas Eve commitment
Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman wide receiver Zachariah Branch will announce his commitment on Christmas Eve at 4:00 p.m. ET, he tweeted Monday.
Branch is the No. 15 prospect in the 2023 class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He ranks as the nation’s No. 1 wide receiver and the top overall prospect in Nevada.
The 5-foot-9, 165-pound speedster is down to a final four of Alabama, USC, Ohio State and Oklahoma. The Trojans just recently signed his brother, 2022 four-star Zion Branch, and are considered the heavy favorites to land Zachariah, too.
According to the Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM), the Trojans have a 98.4 percent chance of getting Branch’s commitment.
The Recruiting Prediction Machine was released to the public two weeks ago. The On3 engineering group teamed up with Spiny.ai to create the industry’s first algorithm and machine learning-based product to predict where athletes will attend college. It factors in machine learning, expert predictions, social sentiment, visits, and historical trends. However, expert predictions are still a big piece of the RPM equation.
USC currently has three commitments in the 2023 class: Five-Star+ quarterback Malachi Nelson, four-star receiver Makai Lemon and athlete Johnny Thompson Jr.
Zachariah Branch Scouting Summary
“One of the more dynamic receiver prospects in the nation, regardless of class. Built like a traditional slot wide receiver at 5-foot-9, 170 pounds. An elite track athlete with a 10.33 second 100 meter mark and a 24 foot long jump as a sophomore. Is able to harness that speed on the football field with his high-end change of direction. Creates big plays as a deep threat and after the catch. Very difficult for defenders to tackle in space. A fluid mover with route-running and true wide receiver skills in addition to the considerable athleticism. Shows good ball skills with the ability to track and make extended catches in traffic.” —Charles Power, On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings