Zachariah and Zion Branch to enter transfer portal, dealing USC a blow

Wide receiver Zachariah Branch reacts after teammate Duce Robinson scores during a game against Nebraska last month.

Staff Writer

Dec. 17, 2024 Updated 4:54 PM PT

Zachariah Branch, USC’s electric sophomore receiver and returner, and his older brother Zion, who plays safety for the Trojans, are planning to enter the transfer portal, a person familiar with the decision but not authorized to speak publicly told The Times, becoming the latest lauded prospects to join the exodus from Troy.

When the two brothers signed to play at USC — Zion in 2022 and Zachariah in 2023 — their separate arrivals were seen as landmark recruiting victories for Trojans coach Lincoln Riley. Zachariah Branch was a top-10 recruit and the nation’s No. 1 receiver prospect. Zion was no slouch, either — a four-star safety who checked in at 58th overall in the 2022 class.

Now as they depart USC, the Branch brothers will be no doubt two of the most coveted players in the transfer portal, with both expected to sign with their new team together.

Their exit, while not entirely unexpected, is an especially brutal blow to the Trojans, who have watched top prospects leave in droves the last two years. Zachariah, who ranked seventh in the 2023 class, is the highest-rated prospect to leave USC since Riley took over. But losing Branch continues an especially concerning trend for the Trojans coach.

Of the 12 top-100 recruits Riley signed through his first three years at USC, nine of those players have since transferred. The four five-star prospects signed in that span — Branch, cornerback Domani Jackson, wideout Duce Robinson and quarterback Malachi Nelson — have all gone elsewhere.

Zachariah Branch looked like one of the most dynamic weapons in all of college football as a freshman, as he flashed his blazing speed and playmaking ability in the open field. He became the first USC player ever named as a freshman All-American, scoring a touchdown as a receiver, rusher, and kick and punt returner.

The sky seemed like the limit for Branch — and high expectations followed — as Riley and USC’s staff challenged Branch to become a more complete receiver as a sophomore. But Branch never quite delivered on that promise in his second season. He struggled to establish himself as a vertical threat, in spite of his blazing speed, and never seemed to fit the role that Riley manufactured for him, which often asked him to catch passes in traffic downfield.

He still led the Trojans in receptions (47) but only twice in 12 games did he exceed 56 receiving yards. His dynamic returns, too, were neutralized. After a 46-yard kickoff return in USC’s season opener, Branch failed to find an opening in the return game the rest of the season. By midseason, he was replaced in that role that earned him All-American honors by fellow sophomore Makai Lemon. Eventually, Lemon would supplant him as the Trojans’ No. 1 receiver,.

“I don’t play with any regrets,” Branch said late last month. “But you know, there are certain situations you can learn from. There are certain situations you can see what you did and build on that as well. I’m just trying to be better as a player.”

Over his two seasons at USC, Branch tallied 78 receptions for 823 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for an additional 87 yards and a touchdown.

“What an incredible journey it’s been here at USC,” Branch wrote on social media. “While this wasn’t an easy decision, I’m looking forward to what the future holds and excited for the new opportunities ahead.”

He’s the third of USC’s top five receivers from this season to enter the transfer portal, joining Robinson and Kyron Hudson, the latter of whom has since signed with Penn State.

Last week, before Branch joined those ranks, Riley shrugged off concerns about his receiver room. He wouldn’t comment specifically on Robinson or Hudson, but said when it came to retaining receivers at USC, “There ain’t much convincing.”

“This school’s history of receivers, our history of receivers, our history of throwing the ball at this school, there’s really not any better place to go play it,” Riley said.

Now USC finds itself in dire need of a receiver — or three — in the transfer portal. Tulsa transfer wideout Jo Williams recently visited campus, while Purdue’s Jaron Tibbs is expected to visit this weekend. USC also recently made an offer to standout Idaho wideout Jordan Dwyer. But none of the three has the five-star pedigree that Zachariah Branch brought to USC.

Zion Branch, his older brother, dealt with season-ending injuries in each of his first two seasons at USC but played in all 12 games this season as a redshirt sophomore, tallying 19 tackles and three pass breakups. He was expected to compete for a major role in USC’s secondary next season, the entirety of which will probably need to be replaced.

Riley has already added one defensive back to that room in San Jose State corner DJ Harvey. But to date, that was the Trojans’ only addition in the transfer portal.

USC has now seen 18 players enter the transfer portal since it wrapped up its 6-6 season. None are likely to be as coveted as the Branch brothers.