Zachariah Branch gives USC one of nation's top playmakers
Christmas came a day early for Lincoln Riley and USC with 2023 On3 Consensus five-star wide receiver Zachariah Branch announcing his commitment to the Trojans on Christmas Eve.
The Las Vegas Bishop Gorman product is one of the more electric playmakers in all of high school football. He joins USC’s 2023 class, which already topped On3’s Team Recruiting Rankings.
Branch joins his older brother, 2022 On300 safety Zion Branch as a Trojan. The elder Branch signed with USC last week.
Zachariah Branch is coming off a fantastic junior season at Bishop Gorman, helping the Gaels to another state title and national ranking.
The 5-foot-9, 170-pounder has a case as the most dynamic open-field receiver prospect currently in high school, regardless of class. I see some shades of former Alabama star and current Miami Dolphin Jaylen Waddle in his skill set.
Let’s get into what makes Branch such a coveted prospect.
Unique athleticism
For starters, Zachariah Branch has some of the best verified athleticism in the nation. He’s a legitimate track star and was named Nevada’s Gatorade Player of the Year in track as a sophomore.
Branch’s track profile across multiple events is as good as you’ll see from a high school football prospect, especially as a sophomore. He set the state record with a wind-legal 10.33 second 100-meter time last spring.
Branch also has personal bests of 21.01 seconds in the 200 meters and 24 feet in the long jump. The long jump mark is even more impressive when you consider he’s 5-foot-9. The track data is scintillating across the board.
Open-field playmaking ability
Most importantly, Zachariah Branch‘s top-notch athleticism easily transfers over to the field. The long speed is evident. He’s a vapor trail on vertical routes and blows by defenders in the open field. But Branch isn’t simply a long speed, straight line mover. He also has elite change of direction, with the ability to quickly gear down, cut and burst in rapid succession.
This skill set manifests itself in a dynamic player with the ball in his hands.
Branch regularly rips off long gains in a variety of ways. He returned two punts for touchdowns while proving dangerous as a quick game target.
Well-rounded receiver skills
It wouldn’t be fair to simply consider Zachariah Branch as what we think of as a traditional slot receiver. Branch pairs the elite ability in the open field with true wide receiver skills.
Branch was quite productive as a junior for Bishop Gorman. He caught 48 passes for 1,094 yards (22.7 yards per catch) and 14 touchdowns. Bishop Gorman opened the season with four national games against top teams from other states. Branch went for over 100 yards in all four. He also had one of his best games in the state championship, with seven catches for 150 yards and a touchdown.
You can quickly see that Branch is a natural hands catcher. He attacks the ball when working over the middle and can finish through contact. In the quick game, he easily plucks the ball with his arms extended.
We also see some ball tracking ability on vertical routes, which aids in his ability as a deep threat. The bouncy hops can also aid in making some extended grabs.
The ball skills make Zachariah Branch a well-rounded, polished receiver at this stage, coming off his junior season.
Branch’s impact at USC
I would expect Zachariah Branch to have a considerable impact in Lincoln Riley’s offense at USC. His ability to make plays in a variety of ways is as diverse as you’ll see from a skill player in the 2023 cycle.
We saw a little bit of a talent regression at wide receiver in Riley’s final years at Oklahoma. Some of that is due to recruiting misses and top targets choosing elsewhere.
You’d have to go back to Hollywood Brown to find a Lincoln Riley receiver with the type of juice that Branch brings to the table. Of course, we saw what a wide receiver like Brown can do in Riley’s offense. Riley’s ability to scheme open space off of play action looks should get Branch some big windows.
Landing a prospect like Branch is a strong step in the right direction for Riley’s early tenure at USC. Branch joins Five-Star Plus+ quarterback Malachi Nelson and top 100 receiver Makai Lemon in giving USC a very strong nucleus of playmakers in its 2023 class. All three are from out west. So far, so good for Lincoln Riley.