Zachariah Branch on his goals at USC, punt return instincts and blocks from his Trojan teammates
True freshman wide receiver Zachariah Branch announced his presence to the college football world in his very first game. Branch recorded 232 all-purpose yards, including a 96-yard kickoff return touchdown, against San Jose State. On Wednesday, following USC’s practice during this early bye week, Branch announced his goals for his career with the Trojans.
He was asked about them because wide receivers coach Dennis Simmons said on this week’s episode of the Trojans Live radio show that Branch sent him a lengthy text the day after the Five-Star Plus+ prospect signed with the Trojans. Simmons said it included what Branch was currently working on as well as what he planned to accomplish in college.
“I definitely do have a lot of goals,” Branch said. “Team goals and personal goals as well.”
Winning a national championship was on the list. Branch said that’s consistent with everybody on this 2023 USC roster. But he has a few just for himself as well, including eventually winning both the Biletnikoff Award and the Heisman Trophy.
“It was impressive to see the text,” Simmons said. “But it’s even more impressive to see his work ethic and see how he approaches the game and how he prepares to make sure that he does put himself in line to accomplish those goals.”
Branch already has nine receptions for 110 yards and two touchdowns through the air. But the success as a wide receiver is almost a footnote compared to what he’s done on special teams. The true freshman leads the country in total return yards and has already returned both a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns. He’s just the third USC player to do that in the same season since at least 1971.
Watching him break free for those long returns has been a highlight for USC fans to witness this season. Branch said he enjoys watching the All-22 film as well. Because in the moment, he’s not exactly sure what’s happening.
“Sometimes I actually kind of get a little confused on what I do,” Branch said. “It’s pretty cool to see how I read the certain blocks or certain leverages the guys are putting out there.”
While it’s happening, Branch isn’t thinking about much. He said it’s a 75/25 split between instinct and preparation on those returns. He said Luke Huard, who works with the punt returners, has been impactful in his teachings, including seeing the ball off the punter’s foot and understanding how the wind will affect the ball. Branch said practices and film study have helped the return team get a feel for how he moves and wants to return. But once the ball is in his hands?
“A lot of it is instinct,” Branch said. “If you don’t hit it, then some of the holes can collapse pretty fast.”
Branch said the kickoff he back against San Jose State was his first kickoff return since eighth grade. The punt return against Stanford felt far more familiar. Branch returned a punt for a touchdown in the Under Armour All-America Game and was a constant threat on punts at Las Vegas Bishop Gorman. He recalled when things clicked for him as a punt returner, during the very first game of his freshman year against Orem (Utah) High School.
Branch fielded a rolling punt going toward his own endzone at about the 33-yard line. By the time he stepped out of a tackle and got to the 45-yard line, he was pinned against the left sideline by five Orem defenders. He gave ground twice as he cut all the way back across the field, before angling all the way back to the right sideline, getting behind some blockers and walking into the endzone. The return was called back due to a block in the back early in the play, but a star was born (Oh, and he’d scored two receiving touchdowns on the first two catches of his high school career earlier in the game).
“I was like, I feel like I can do something with punt return,” Branch said, recalling his thoughts after that play
This year, he’s getting help from the other 10 Trojans on the return team. Branch gave credit to his blockers and said he hears about it immediately on the sideline when someone frees him up for extra yards.
“We definitely talk about it on the sideline,” Branch said. “Like, man, I wouldn’t have been in there without you. Guys come up to me, ‘Hey, you see my block? You’re gonna see it on the film.’ Every time we watch it on Sunday
Branch said the coaches always give credit to the blockers on those plays. He pointed specifically to blocks from Jaylin Smith and Brenden Rice on his touchdown return against Stanford.
“J-Rock had one,” Branch said of Smith. “He took the guy’s helmet off. That was a pretty good one. He told me as soon as he got to the sideline…I couldn’t do it without them.
