Zachariah and Zion Branch, highly touted prospects who joined USC in consecutive years, are leaving the Trojans program. This departure adds to the growing trend of top recruits leaving USC under coach Lincoln Riley.
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 sophomor
TRANSFER PORTAL USC ZACHARIAH BRANCH ZION BRANCH RECRUITING
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