5-Star Zachariah Branch Planning to Play Football and Run Track at USC - He Enrolls on Friday

Whether it was watching 5-Star USC commit Zachariah Branch crush it during the Spring or watching him lead the Bishop Gorman Gaels to an impressive 10-1 season, there’s never been a dull moment.

If there was ever an event that fully encapsulated the impact an elite athlete could have on his sport, it was Branch at the Las Vegas Battle 7v7 Event in March.

Branch attended all but one USC home game this season and will enroll at USC on Friday (1/6). He will join older brother and USC freshman Safety Zion Branch at their dream school. Yes, they will be roommates in 2023 and we assume beyond.

Here are a few things USC fans could count on when Branch was at the Coliseum. He was always recruiting for the Trojans, decked out head to toe in USC gear and had a never-ending smile.

A friend of mine who’s run into Branch a couple Saturdays said this, “The nicest guy I have met is Zachariah Branch. He and his father are just amazing.” Let me add their Zion and Zachariah’s mother Renee is just as amazing. A truly wonderful family joined the “Trojan Family” in 2022.

2023 Under Armour All-American MVP

On3 Five-Star Plus+ Branch was one of the most dynamic players in the 2023 cycle. The USC signee showcased why on Tuesday night in the Under Armour All-America Game.

Branch caught a punt deep in his own red zone. He then outran multiple defenders and weaved his way through traffic for the score.

Turn on the JETS 💨‼️ @zachariahb03#uanext pic.twitter.com/eqhcWNwKKn

— All-America Game (@UANextFootball) January 3, 2023

“Man, I just looked the ball off the punter’s foot and I ran (with) my blocks,” Branch said to ESPN after his score. “And I knew I was going to the house. I had to make it up for that first one.” 

“This is Zachariah Branch, the No. 1 returner in the country,” Washington (D.C.) Archbishop Carroll five-star athlete Nyckoles Harbor said afterwards. “You see what he did. He makes it look easy out there.” 

Branch is the No. 4 overall prospect and No. 1 wide receiver in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 1 player from Nevada

Officially a USC Trojan Friday (1/6)

WeAreSC spoke to Branch last week when he arrived at the 2023 Under Armor All-American Game. He talked about when he enrolls, his plans to possibly work with the track team this Spring, his outlook for the USC football program and much more.

Lincoln Riley’s Christmas Eve Gift

Branch committed to USC on Christmas Eve and hasn’t looked back. Sure, he took an unofficial visit to Texas A&M at the end of June, but he earned those opportunities. I’d recommend all kids take all five official visits they’re allotted.

There were rumors Branch would be back at A&M in late July for the “Pool Party”, but Branch didn’t visit anywhere in July other than USC. Some have even absurdly mentioned he was close to flipping his commitment, but that obviously didn’t happen and won’t be happening, either.

Zachariah Branch and His USC Selling Points

One of Branch’s top selling points was USC’s ability to prepare young athletes for their lives after football. Given that only a small fraction of college football players make it to the NFL, a USC degree is an invaluable tool for these young men to have once their playing days come to a close.

When Trojans recruits asked Branch why he committed to USC, here’s what he had to say.

“I told them, USC definitely will help them with life after football, within whatever career, within whatever path they want to go in,” Branch recently said in an interview with WeAreSC’s Scott Schrader. “That definitely helped them a little bit as well.”