Notre Dame-USC: Star USC freshman a gametime decision for tonight

Will he return tonight?

Notre Dame is set to host USC tonight in a game that will go a long way in telling the story of the 2023 season for both.

Could Notre Dame be getting a little luck of the Irish on Saturday night?

According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, star freshman kick returner Zachariah Branch is a gametime decision for USC.  Branch has missed the last two games due to an undisclosed injury.

From Thamel’s report:

Sources indicated that Branch has made the trip with the team to Notre Dame for the game and no official decision will be made until after pregame warmups.

Branch has caught 13 passes for 178 yards and is averaging over 22 yards per punt return and 28.5 yards per kickoff return this season.

Notre Dame special teams have taken a significant step back after Brian Mason left for a job with the Indianapolis Colts this off-season.  Clearly any help the Irish can get in the special teams department is something they’ll take tonight.

Who Wins?  Staff Picks for Notre Dame vs. USC