Zachariah Branch | WR | USC | 2026 Draft Eligible

College football is finally back, and last Saturday, we got to see 2022 Heisman winner Caleb Williams lead his USC Trojans to a dominant win versus the Spartans of San Jose State in Week 0. Caleb showed us why he’s the heavy favorite to hoist the Heisman trophy again in 2023, posting 18/25 passing, 278 yards, and 4 TDs in the game. We’ve come to expect this from the future 1.01 in 2024 Superflex rookie drafts. I mean, just look at the play below; is this not Patrick Mahomes-esque? Williams turned a potential disaster of a play into a homerun ball and made it look easy. 

At this point, we’ve come to expect nothing but greatness from Williams as a Devy community. But what I found much more exciting in this game was watching the 19-year-old freshman from Nevada, Zachariah Branch. He was electric the entire night, making big plays in the receiving, rushing, and return game. Coming out of high school as the top-ranked WR in his class, we knew this guy would be special, but I’m not sure anyone predicted this kind of start from the kid. Branch finished with 70 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns (one receiving and one kick return) and absolutely popped off the screen in his first collegiate game. 

Devy players lucky enough to have Branch on their roster have to be salivating at this performance. He has three full years to develop and already looks like the most explosive player on this USC team. This is a player who could have equal expectations to Marvin Harrison Jr. once he’s entering his junior season. 

High School

Zachariah Branch attended Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, one of the top-ranked high school programs in the nation. In his final two years, Branch combined for 93 receptions, 1,847 yards, and 25 TDs. He also tacked on two punt return TDs as a junior. He was ranked as the #1 overall WR prospect in the 2023 class by both ESPN and 247 Sports and received a player comp of Tyreek Hill by Blair Angulo of 247 Sports. 

Branch’s biggest strengths are speed, elusiveness, body control, and burst. He was also a track star in high school, winning the 5A Regional Championship in the 100 and 200-meter dash, running a 10.33 and 21.01, respectively. Simply put, this kid is FAST. 

Dynasty/Devy Value 

In recent Devy startup drafts this offseason, Zachariah Branch has been going off the board around the late 2nd/early 3rd round. This price is sure to go up significantly if Branch continues to pop off as he did last Saturday. He’s a player with virtually no weaknesses in his game. The only thing keeping Branch from creeping into the first round right now is the fact you have to wait until 2026 to reap the benefits of your pick (unless you trade him away for current Dynasty assets earlier).

It’s still very early, but Branch appears to clearly be a better prospect than fellow freshman teammate Makai Lemon. Lemon was the #2 WR in this 2023 class, according to ESPN, and has some lofty expectations in his own right, but finished with just one reception for no yards in his college debut. Still, not everyone can jump out to the start Zachariah did. I expect Lemon to improve as the year progresses and impact this Trojan team in Year 1. He’s a physical receiver and a great route runner, and I’d be comfortable grabbing him as early as the 4th round in Devy startup drafts. 

My advice to Devy players out there: make an offer for Zachariah Branch while you can. Sure, he’s expensive now, but that price tag will only increase weekly for the next three years. If you’re willing to play the waiting game, you should have one of the most electric young talents in the NFL in just a few short years. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this article, and I hope you got some valuable information you can use for your fantasy team! If you’d like additional insight into Dynasty Football news and analysis, please follow me on Twitter at @jim_DFF. Until next time, keep grinding out there, DFF family! #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding