Zachariah Branch was one of the biggest names to hit the transfer portal this past offseason.
The former USC wide receiver was a Freshman All-American in 2023, when he flashed an ability to impact the game as a return man, as a receiver, and as a playmaker. That ability was on display right away for Georgia on Saturday against Marshall.
Branch had a 25-yard reception on third-and-4 and then a 23-yard reception on third-and-5 in the first quarter.
In the third quarter, he took a swing pass from Gunner Stockton and sprinted 47 yards to the house for his first Georgia touchdown.
The score from Branch put Georgia up 31-0 early in the second half. It also gave him 95 receiving yards on just 3 catches.
In his 2 seasons at USC, Branch only had 2 games with more receiving yards. He had 98 yards on 6 catches against Michigan last September. He produced his only career 100-yard receiving day in a 21-26 loss to Washington on Nov. 2 last year, catching 6 balls for 102 yards.
Last season, Georgia only got 4 100-yard receiving days from its wideouts all year. Arian Smith, now in the NFL with the New York Jets, had 3 of them.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
