Jordan Brand signs USC brothers Zachariah, Zion Branch to NIL deal
USC football’s Zachariah and Zion Branch will be Jordan Brand’s first NIL football endorsees. NFL standouts such as Dak Prescott, Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurts are also Jordan Brand endorsees.
Zachariah, the younger of the two brothers, swept onto the college football scene last year, instantly making an impact for the Trojans. He finished the season with 31 catches for 320 yards and two touchdowns.
He also recorded nine carries for 70 yards and a score. Zachariah’s greatest contributions came on special teams, where he was USC’s primary punt and kick returner. He returned 24 kickoffs for 440 yards and a touchdown while tallying 332 return yards and a score in the punt game, as well.
For his efforts, he was named named a USA Today First Team All-American as a returner, a PFF First Team All-American as a return specialist and a Sporting News First Team All-American as a punt returner. Zachariah Branch was USC’s first-ever true freshman First Team All-American.
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Zion Branch is one year older than Zachariah, and is entering his redshirt sophomore season. In the 2023 campaign, Zion made nine appearances and one start, notching 22 tackles and a forced fumble. However, Zion’s season was cut short when he suffered a season-ending injury.
Now, Zion will look to carve out playing time again in the secondary as he returns from injury. The Branch brothers couldn’t be happier about the opportunity to become Jordan athletes.
“It’s a huge blessing,” Zachariah Branch said in an interview, per Sportico. “It’s just an honor to be chosen since there’s only a select few that go through this with Jordan Brand. We’re making history. … Jordan is the standard; he’s greatness. We’re excited about it and super grateful for the opportunity.
“We’re trying to set the example for people on our team and around us… You just got to know that when you put your mind to it, work hard and trust in God, opportunities are going to come.”
The Branch brothers won’t have to wait much longer to take advantage of their opportunities on the field. On Saturday, USC will kick off its 2024 campaign with a showdown against No. 13 LSU at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ABC.