Zachariah Branch wins Jet Award as nation's outstanding return specialist
Zachariah Branch added another accolade to his outstanding true freshman season on Thursday as he won the Jet Award, presented to the nation’s most outstanding return specialist.
The Jet Award has been given annually since the 2011 season. Voting is done by members of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and former Jet Award winners. Branch is the second USC player to win it, joining Adoree’ Jackson, who won following the 2016 season.
Branch led the nation in punt returns this season, averaging 20.8 yards per return. He finished No. 3 in combined punt and kickoff return yards, with 774. Branch also returned a punt and kickoff for touchdowns, both coming in the first three games of his college career. He joined Jackson and Curtis Conway as the only three USC players since at least 1971 with a punt return, kickoff return and receiving touchdown in the same season.
The honors continue to roll in for Branch, who already became USC’s first-ever true freshman to be named a football First-Team All-American when he was named a first-team returner by Sporting News, USA Today and PFF. He was also named to the Second Team by Walker Camp and FWAA, the only freshman to appear on either the first or second team by those publications.
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In addition to his return exploits, Branch caught 31 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns, plus rushed for 70 yards and a score on nine carries.
He was named a First-Team All-Pac-12 performer as a return specialist and awarded honorable mention as an all-purpose/special teams player.
Previous Jet Award Winners
Branch is just the 12th Jet Award winner in history, but the fifth Pac-12 player to do so. Stanford’s Ty Montgomery and Christian McCaffrey won the award in 2013 and 2015. Washington’s Dante Pettis did so in 2017. Other winners include Joe Adams of Arkansas, Tavon Austin of West Virginia and Tyler Lockett of Kansas State. TCU’s Derius Davis won the award for the 2022 season.
