The matchup between No. 8 USC and Colorado will not be low on star power.
Of course, Colorado coach Deion Sanders is at the center. It's a matchup between quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Shedeur Sanders, and USC coach Lincoln Riley is not short on publicity. There will be more than a few celebrities on the pregame Big Noon Kickoff show and the sideline at Folsom Field at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Just don't be surprised if a USC freshman adds to that list.
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Zachariah Branch has scored four TDs on just 29 touches between catches, rushes and returns in the kickoff and punt return game. Branch's game-breaking speed has drawn comparisons to former Miami Hurricanes and Chicago Bears legend Devin Hester.
Branch has two return touchdowns in four college games, and Colorado ranks 101st in punt return defense (10.8 yards per return) and 124th in kickoff return defense (27.9 yards per return). Will Branch pop off a long return in front of Sanders – who was an outstanding returner in college and the NFL?
Get to know Zachariah Branch, the freshman who just might make that happen:
Was Zachariah Branch a five-star recruit?
Branch – a 5-foot-10, 172-pound receiver, was the No. 1 receiver in the 2023 recruiting class according to 247Sports.com. He played at Bishop Gorman High School, a perennial powerhouse in Las Vegas. He helped Bishop Gorman win a state championship as a junior.
Branch totaled 93 catches for 1,847 yards – an average of 19.8 yards per catch – with 25 TDs in his final two high school seasons.
According to his USC bio, Branch also was a track star at Bishop Gorman. He won regional championships in the 100 (10.33), 200 (21.01) and long jump (24-0) as a sophomore.
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Is Zachariah Branch most-exciting freshman in FBS?
Branch is on that short list because of his play-making skills. He added another dimension to USC in the return and receiving game.
He has 13 catches on 16 targets for 178 yards and two TDs and three rushes for 31 yards. He's averaging 22 snaps per game on offense, according to Pro Football Focus.
Branch has made an instant impact in the return game – one that was felt with a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the season opener against San Jose State in Week 0.
Zachariah Branch have a DAY 🥵
— Redshirt Heisman (@TasteOfSport) August 27, 2023
The USC Freshman WR caught a TD pass along with this 96 yard kick return TD - 💰 pic.twitter.com/MCqOHRx1fV
Branch added a 75-yard punt return for a touchdown in Week 2 against Stanford.
True freshman Zachariah Branch, the No. 1 WR in the Class of 2023, has already scored on a catch, kick return and punt return in 3 collegiate games 😲pic.twitter.com/KD18lWG6lw
— 247Sports (@247Sports) September 11, 2023
Branch averages 29.0 yards on kickoff returns and 22.6 yards on punt returns. He totaled 332 return yards on just 13 returns in USC's first four games.
Will Zachariah Branch break FBS return records?
Boise State's Avery Williams – who played from 2017-20 – has the FBS record for most career kickoff and punt return TDs in FBS history. He totaled nine – with six punt return TDs and three kickoff return TDs – while playing for the Broncos.
Washington's Dante Pettis has the FBS record with nine career punt return TDs, which he set at Washington from 2014-27. Pettis did not run a kickoff return for a TD. Five FBS players have totaled seven career kickoff returns TDs.
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Will Zachariah Branch be the next Devin Hester?
The comparison is intriguing, but there is a long way to go. Hester had six returns for touchdowns at Miami before the Chicago Bears selected him with a second-round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft.
Hester's career as a returner took on a new meaning in the NFL. He totaled 14 punt returns for touchdowns and five kickoff returns for TDs in the regular season, and he opened Super Bowl XLI with a 92-yard kickoff return for a TD. He's generally considered the greatest return specialist in NFL history.
Zachariah Branch is related to Zion Branch and Cliff Branch
Branch's older brother Zion is a redshirt safety with the Trojans. Zion has seven tackles this season. The late Cliff Branch – the Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver who averaged 17.3 yards per catch for the Raiders – is the brothers' great uncle. Cliff Branch played college football at Colorado.
