Desmond Branch
Position: Defensive end
Enrolled: Jan. 11
Height, weight: 6-foot-3, 270 pounds
Hometown: Rio Rancho, N.M.
What to know: Signed letter of intent with New Mexico in February 2014 and enrolled in the fall of 2014. Transferred to Trinity Valley Community College in Texas and played last season. Is an early enrollee.
Heath Ridenour, his high school coach in Rio Rancho, on Branch's transfer process: "He went to UNM right out of high school. Went for one semester and didn't feel like it fit for him. In January of 2015, I guess it was, he enrolled at Trinity Junior College in East Texas and went and just did really well there. Went through the recruiting process and is now at Georgia Tech."
Ridenour on Branch's football lineage: "Desmond comes from a long line of talented, talented football players here in the metro area. His older brother, Allen Branch, plays for the New England Patriots and his older brother went to Michigan right out of high school."
Ridenour on Branch's time with the high school team: "For us he started three years on our varsity, which is kind of rare in our program. Just to give some background on our football program, we've been around since 2009 and we've already won four district championships and two state championships during that time. Desmond was on our 2011 state championship team, he was a sophomore that year and he started nose guard for us. Then his junior and senior year, he played on both sides of the football, he played defensive lineman and offensive tackle for us. Just really, really athletic. Really strong, really explosive. He really stuck out here in New Mexico."
Ridenour on Branch as a fit at Tech: "Desmond's a really competitive guy. He wants to be part of a program that has a winning tradition and wants to play football at a really high level. I think Georgia Tech is definitely one of those places. They wanted to give him an opportunity, and they kind of see eye-to-eye when it comes to playing football and at a very high level."
Ridenour on what makes Branch special: "It's the intangibles with Desmond. You see him every day working in the weight room and working on the field, he's going to find the best guy out there and try to outwork him. That's just kind of who he is as a person. He wants to be the best, he wants to be the hardest worker. He wants to make his coaches happy and he wants to help his team win. He may not step out and say those things to you because he's a little bit of a humble guy but he's definitely got a good motor on the football field."
About the Author
