Zachariah Branch

Zachariah Eric Branch (born March 29, 2004) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans and the Georgia Bulldogs and was selected by the Falcons in the third round of the 2026 NFL draft.

Early life Branch was born on March 29, 2004, the youngest of two sons to Sheve and Renee Branch. His father is a sports performance coach. Branch and his brother grew up attending USC football games. He was one of the top players in the 2023 college football recruiting class, ranked No. 6 nationally by ESPN and No. 9 by 247Sports. He was the top wide receiver in the class.

College career

USC Branch enrolled at the University of Southern California in early 2023. In June 2023, he was recorded on a treadmill sprint at 26 miles per hour, close to Usain Bolt's top speed. Prior to the start of the 2023 season, he was selected by 247Sports as a true freshman preseason All-American. In his college football debut, Branch tallied 232 all-purpose yards, including his first touchdown reception and a 96-yard kickoff return. Following his first game, the Los Angeles Times wrote that his "feats had even his opponents in awe",

In December 2024, Branch entered the transfer portal.

Georgia On January 5, 2025, Branch announced his decision to transfer to the University of Georgia to play for the Georgia Bulldogs, alongside his brother, Zion Branch.

Statistics + Year Team GP Receiving Rushing Kick returns Punt returns Rec Yards Avg TD Att Yards Avg TD Ret Yards Avg TD Ret Yards Avg TD 2023 USC 11 31 320 10.3 2 9 70 7.8 1 24 442 18.4 1 16 332 20.8 1 2024 USC 12 47 503 10.7 1 2 17 8.5 0 5 105 21.0 0 13 74 5.7 0 2025 Georgia 13 73 744 10.2 5 4 7 1.8 0 10 205 20.5 0 13 157 12.1 0Career 36 151 1567 10.4 8 15 94 6.3 1 39 752 19.3 1 42 563 13.4 1

Professional career

Branch was selected in third round, 79th overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2026 NFL draft.

Personal life

On April 19, 2026, Branch was arrested in Athens, Georgia on two charges of obstruction; the charges stemmed from an incident in which Branch allegedly blocked a public sidewalk and failed to follow instructions from law enforcement. On June 3, it was announced that the charges against Branch had been dropped.