The [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] continues to heat up, and the Oklahoma Sooners may have a new wide receiver target to pursue. Former five-star Zachariah Branch, who committed to USC out of high school, entered the transfer portal on Tuesday, according to Pete Nakos of On3. Branch’s brother Zion also entered the portal.
Branch was considered the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2023 recruiting class out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Sooners were the first to offer Branch in 2020, according to 247Sports. That was under Lincoln Riley, but that’s also the same high school that produced Sooners running backs coach DeMarco Murray.
In his second season in Los Angeles, Branch recorded 47 receptions for 503 yards and a touchdown for a Trojans offense that ranked 52nd in the nation in points per game. He also averaged 21 yards per kick return and 5.7 yards per punt return this season.
As a true freshman, Branch had both a kickoff and punt return for a touchdown to go along with 31 receptions for 320 yards and two receiving touchdowns. He also had a rushing touchdown and nine carries for 70 yards.
He’s a dynamic playmaker who will be an intriguing portal prospect. He can create big plays after the catch. Among players with at least 34 targets in 2024, Branch led the Big Ten and was tied for eighth nationally in yards after catch per reception.
Who knows if the Sooners will have interest in Branch, but he’d be an impact player that any team in the nation would want to add to their offense and special teams unit.
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