Zachariah Branch details 'pretty easy' decision to transfer to Georgia, his growth since

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch burst onto the College Football scene at USC in September of 2023. The former No. 1 wideout in the country did so because he has a habit of getting where he wants to go faster than most people can.

In his first meeting with reporters since arriving at Georgia, Branch got right to the point once again. When his press conference opened with someone asking why he chose the Bulldogs out of the transfer portal, he offered up a 35-second UGA football commercial.

“First and foremost, I would say the culture that Coach Kirby Smart, the coaching staff has established,” Branch said on Tuesday . “I feel like it’s a real brotherhood and, you know, it’s not just words. You know, some people just say, okay, you have to have the bond and the things like that to be a great team, but I really do truly believe that, you know, they built that into this program and they’ve consistently done it year after year. And, you know, just to be surrounded by a lot of like-minded players as well, all trying to get toward the same goal is something that is really important to me as well. And once I got into that portal, it was pretty easy to make my decision from there.”

He didn’t come to Athens alone. When Branch decided to enter the portal and leave Southern California, he did so in conjunction with his older brother, Zion. As you might expect with brothers who love the same sport and are just one year apart, the Branches are “best friends.”

They’re also of the same mindset when it comes to the sport. Smart has told reporters on multiple occasions that they love the game and love putting in the work to get better at it. While neither of the Branch brothers nor anyone in their camp ever confirmed they were a package deal, that’s precisely what they were. Georgia just so happened to be seeking help at each of those positions.

But none of the speaks to how the pair, who grew up in Las Vegas, decided to go from one of the biggest cities in the entire world to, geographically, the smallest county in Georgia. The connections aren’t as few as you might think.

Donte Williams, Georgia’s cornerbacks coach, helped recruit Zion while at USC. James Coley, UGA’s receivers coach, had Texas A&M in the thick of Branch’s recruitment coming out of high school. David Hill, the Bulldogs’ player connection coordinator, came up through the Las Vegas area high school coaching ranks. He has known the brothers and their family for a long time.

Then there’s the player side of things. Branch says he has known Georgia running back Nate Frazier since they were children. When Branch visited Athens as a portal target, Frazier went out to dinner with the group. The two reminisced about their junior track and field days where they would often compete in the same events.

Then there was a guy he had no connection to at all — Dillon Bell. The Texas native reached out to the Nevada native during his recruitment. Bell made sure that Branch knew he was welcome to the Georgia receiver room with open arms.

“It definitely was big, you know, to have that team camaraderie, like I said, that brotherhood to know that somebody else in that room wants me to be in there with them to help the team and to, you know, get each other better as well,” Branch said. “Because, you know, we’re always learning from everybody. You can always take a nugget from somebody.”

As for his progression on the field, Branch is learning and fighting just like everyone else. He’s learning the playbook and fighting through the fast-paced, physical practices. There’s also the pollen, which has Branch questioning his decision to take his car through the wash recently.

But what he has seen at Georgia thus far, and the adversity he has faced both on and off the practice field, has taken him back to a time earlier in his career. While at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, one of the most competitive schools in the country, Branch earned his way into the culture.

He is having to do the same thing at Georgia, allowing him to hit some form of a reset button. Being in Athens has caused him to reach back to his roots as an athlete. What he has found there could lead him to his tremendous potential.

“I remember freshman year when I came into Bishop Gorman, you know, there was a high standard, like dudes running around and freshmen, they had to really earn their stripes,” Branch said. “Coach Kirby has that same pedigree that kind of reminded me back to, you know, how I was in high school and how I came up, how I’ve grown up. My household, my parents hold me accountable, whether it’s academics, athletically. So, you know, this program just really reminded me of how my upbringing was. To get to that next level, I feel like this was the best step for me.”