Desmond Howard 'loves' Zachariah Branch after Week 1 performance
ESPN College GameDay’s Desmond Howard has a new favorite player, and it’s a rookie that wears the cardinal and gold.
Saturday morning, the crew still had a couple more hours of discussion before the first full Saturday of football action got underway. Awaiting the noon kickoff, they discussed some of the handful of teams that have actually gotten to play, including USC.
Well, at mention of the Trojans, former Heisman winner Desmond Howard immediately pointed out the standout freshman playmaker from the win over San Jose State last weekend.
“I like USC. I LOVE Zachariah Branch,” Howard declared, before going in-depth on what makes the youngster so special after just one performance.
“Caleb Williams went out there, did what he had to do. But this young freshman named Zachariah Branch — it’s not what he did, it’s how he did it,” explained Howard.
“I mean, he was exceptional. He’s a heck of a weapon, not only for Caleb Williams, but for the team, because he’s a beast in special teams. They have him return (because) he’s so fast. Keep an eye on Zachariah Branch.”
Howard’s just amped up to watch Branch take the field again this week.
“I can’t wait. Throughout the season, at one point, I want to do a breakdown on this kid.”
Pat McAfee agreed that Branch had “quite a hello” in his very first game as a college player. He was so dynamic in his various roles that the former NFL punter even compared Branch to Howard himself.
“I mean, he’s very similar to a man who wears incredible suits every single Saturday,” McAfee said towards Howard. He then noted that Branch is “electrifying and another weapon for Caleb Williams.”
Branch, a former top recruit, is already making his mark as a true freshman. In the Trojan opener vs. San Jose State, he starred as the punt and kickoff return man, where he took back one kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown and also had an impressive punt return.
You can see both of those plays below, along with his four catches that totaled 58 yards, in his highlight clips right here:
As a member of the Class of 2023, Zachariah Branch was a five-star recruit out of Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 1 overall prospect in the state, the No. 1 wide receiver in the class and the No. 4 overall prospect in the class.