Of the 10 big additions Georgia made via the transfer portal this offseason, wide receiver Zachariah Branch was easily the most notable of the additions.
Branch was the No. 1-ranked wide receiver in the 2023 recruiting class. He was a freshman All-American in his time at USC, showing promise while playing with Heisman Trophy-winner Caleb Williams.
Given the issues Georgia has had at the wide receiver position, he seems like someone who should have a massive season.
But Branch does face some questions as he enters Georgia, as Chris Hummer of CBS Sports outlined.
“There’s fast in college football and then there’s Branch, a 10.33-second speedster in the 100-meter dash,” Hummer wrote. “Branch is, in part, an Arian Smith replacement for UGA. But he can do so much more as a returner and a dynamic playmaker in the open field; he also catches the ball, with three drops last season compared to 10 for Smith. The question is whether Branch reaches that potential. He had a disappointing sophomore year for USC (47 catches, 503 yards), failing to reach his superstar ceiling. If Branch can return to his freshman year form, however, he’s the type of receiving spark plug the Bulldogs lacked a season ago.”
Branch was named by Hummer as Georgia’s transfer addition who could swing Georgia’s College Football Playoff hopes. Smith led Georgia in receiving last season, finishing with 817 receiving yards and 48 receptions. Smith was taken in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft by the New York Jets.
Given Gunner Stockton’s desire to push the ball downfield, Branch could form a potent connection with the Georgia quarterback. His lone reception in Georgia’s spring game was a 36-yard grab.
Branch spoke this spring about what he hopes to bring to the Georgia offense.
“Every time I’m out there, I try to just be the best version of myself for the team,” Branch said in April. “You know, try to go 100% effort because you never know when your last play is. I just try to treat everything like a blessing. You know, I get the opportunity to go out here every day and do something that I love. So I just try to bring that fire and that passion into the sport that I try to bring to the receiver group.”
Branch’s older brother, Zion, also transferred to Georgia this offseason and will play safety for the Bulldogs. He is one of three transfer defensive backs Georgia brought in this offseason.
The Bulldogs brought in Texas A&M transfer wide receiver Noah Thomas. While Zachariah Branch brings a speed element to the offense, Thomas provides a physical component that should greatly help Georgia’s offense.
“I’m excited about both those guys. Both really good players,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said in March. “Both have been successful in their organizations where they’ve been. They’re both talented pass-catchers. Both those guys are high-caliber athletes, but they’re high-caliber people.”
Add in running back Joshua McCray from Illinois, and Georgia clearly felt the need to add pieces on offense.
Branch, as Hummer notes, has as high a ceiling as any player on this Georgia team. But that was the case for him at USC as well.
The transfer wide receiver will get his first chance to deliver on that promise Aug. 30, when Georgia takes on Marshall in the Bulldogs’ season opener.
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