USC transfers and brothers Zachariah Branch (wide receiver) and Zion Branch (safety) will continue to play college football together, but they will do so at a different school in 2025. The Branch brothers announced their commitments to Georgia today.
They visited Athens on Friday, Dec. 20, and also took visits to Arizona State and Miami. Ultimately, the Branch brothers chose to commit to the Bulldogs.
According to Rivals, Zachariah is the No. 2-ranked transfer portal player in the cycle, while Zion ranks as No. 52.
Both players have two years of eligibility remaining, and Zachariah still has a redshirt availability if needed as well. Zion redshirted in 2022.
The Branch brothers will now play under head coach Kirby Smart, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Mike Bobo, wide receivers coach James Coley and the rest of the UGA staff. Sources tell Rivals that close relationships with Coley and Georgia player connection coordinator David Hill played roles in the Bulldogs landing the USC transfers.
Zion played for head coach Lincoln Riley and USC for three seasons from 2022 through 2024. Zachariah just finished his true sophomore season and suited up for the Trojans in 2023 and 2024.
Zion appeared in 10 games in 2024. He amassed 19 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and three passes defended. According to Pro Football Focus, he played 217 defensive snaps on the year and recorded an overall grade of 69.2.
In his career with USC, Zion played in 19 games. He recorded 41 total tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, three passes defended and one forced fumble in three seasons with the Trojans.
Meanwhile, in 12 games with the Trojans in 2024, Zachariah compiled 47 receptions for 503 yards (10.7 yards per catch), and he scored one touchdown. He also had two rushes for 17 yards on the campaign. Per PFF, Zachariah played 490 offensive snaps and recorded an overall grade of 67.2.
Zachariah appeared in 23 games throughout his career with the Trojans. He totaled 78 receptions for 823 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed 11 times for 87 yards (7.9 yards per carry) and scored an additional touchdown on the ground, and scored both a kick return and punt return touchdown as well.
Zion was rated as a four-star safety in the class of 2022 out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. He ranked as the No. 64 overall prospect that year.
Zachariah also played at Bishop Gorman High School and was ranked as a top-10 player in the country. The five-star wide receiver prospect ranked as the No. 7 overall recruit in the cycle.
Stay locked in on the Rivals Transfer Tracker to keep up with the latest transfer news, portal entries, commitments, and rankings. For a deep-dive into the transfer portal, make sure you visit the Rivals Transfer Search page.
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The winter college football transfer portal window is scheduled to open on Dec. 9, 2024 for 20 days. Additionally, players have a 30-day window to transfer when their head coach leaves. There is also a five-day window for players to transfer after their team has finished postseason play. A 10-day transfer window will open on April 16 as well.
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on Rivals.com, the leader in college football and basketball recruiting coverage. Be the first to know and follow your teams by signing up here.
