Analyzing USC's Biggest Transfer Portal Loss Under Lincoln Riley

Former USC Trojans star Zachariah Branch is breaking out with the Georgia Bulldogs as he closes in on a single season receptions record and rises on the 2026 NFL Draft board showing the potential USC once hoped to fully unlock.

Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) and Georgia running back Josh McCray (2) after getting a win in a NCAA college football game against Kentucky in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, October 4, 2025. Georgia won 35-14. | Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

USC fans knew former Trojans wide receiver Zachariah Branch could be special. What they didn’t expect was for his national breakout to happen somewhere else.

With the 2025 regular season complete and Georgia preparing for the College Football Playoff, the former Trojan has emerged as one of college football’s most dynamic weapons and one of the fastest risers on ESPN’s 2026 NFL Draft Big Board. Branch’s success in Athens is impossible to ignore, and it raises a question for USC fans. Did the Trojans lose a future first-rounder right as he was hitting his stride?

Branch’s USC Foundation Made His Breakout Possible

Aug 26, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) celebrates his touchdown scored against the San Jose State Spartans during the second half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Branch didn’t arrive at Georgia as an unproven name. His USC résumé was already historic. In 2023, he became the first true freshman first-team All-American in USC history, electrifying the nation as a returner with 24 kickoffs for 442 yards and 15 punt returns for 309 yards, averaging a national-best 20.6 yards per punt return. His explosiveness was undeniable, and USC fans saw what made him the No. 5 overall recruit coming out of high school.

Even in 2024, though he never had the true breakout season many expected, he still tied for USC’s team lead with 47 receptions and set a career-high 503 receiving yards. Georgia simply gave him the feature role USC never fully unlocked.

Georgia Unleashed the Version USC Always Hoped to See

Nov 8, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) runs for a touchdown against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the first half at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images | Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

This year, Branch has become Georgia’s offensive engine. Through 13 games, he leads the Bulldogs with:

- 73 receptions
- 744 receiving yards
- 5 receiving touchdowns

He’s added value across the board with punt returns (157 yards) and kickoff returns (205 yards), proving he’s still one of college football’s most complete all-purpose weapons.

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That production finally pushed him onto Mel Kiper Jr.’s radar. After being unranked previously, Branch jumped to No. 22 overall on Kiper’s latest 2026 Big Board, now projected as the fourth-best receiver in the class behind Arizona State Sun Devils receiver Jordyn Tyson, Ohio State Buckeyes receiver Carnell Tate, and former USC Trojans teammate Makai Lemon. Kiper’s scouting report reads like everything USC fans once envisioned:

“At 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, Branch will be a slot receiver in the NFL, and offensive coordinators will be able to get creative with him, potentially getting him on the move on jet sweeps and keeping defenses guessing. I still think Branch could be a Day 1 pick, but at the very least, he'd be a great steal in the second round.”

The irony, of course, is that USC’s offense could have desperately used that type of playmaking this season with all their injuries in the backfield and missed time by Ja'Kobi Lane.

A Georgia Record That USC Fans Know He Could Have Broken in L.A.

Oct 18, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) reacts after a catch against the Mississippi Rebels during the second half of the game at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Branch’s rise has brought him to the doorstep of a milestone that has stood untouched since the early 1990s. Georgia’s single-season receptions record, 76 catches set by Brice Hunter in 1993, is on the verge of falling. Branch sits at 73 receptions, needing only four more to break it. History suggests he’ll get there: he has logged at least four receptions in 10 of 13 games, including nine straight.

For USC fans, it’s hard not to wonder how these numbers would look had he stayed in Los Angeles. The talent was always there. The flashes were always there. Georgia became the stage where everything clicked.