Caleb Williams is undeniably the face of USC football, but he's not the only one on the Trojans roster who is leaving fans breathless. USC freshman wide receiver Zachariah Branch is also wowing Trojans fans with his electric play on the field as part of the offense and special teams.
Branch appears to be in his most exciting form when he's returning kickoffs and punts. Considering that he's been effective in serving those roles so far in the 2023 college football season, USC football head coach Lincoln Riley can only wish that opposing teams continue to kick the ball to Branch, per Paolo Uggetti of ESPN.
“He's a freshman,” USC coach Lincoln Riley said. “But I hope they keep kicking to him.”
Article Continues BelowThrough three games, Branch has already mustered a total of four touchdowns. He's got two touchdown receptions and one TD each off a kickoff return and a punt return.
Branch is quickly gaining a reputation as a dangerous offensive weapon for USC football that will enter Saturday's game against the Arizona State Sun Devils on the road ranked No. 1 in the nation in scoring offense with 59.3 points per game. The Trojans are also third nationally with 580.7 total yards per contest. It will be interesting to see if Arizona State will fall into the same trap of kicking to Branch.
While Branch isn't a top option downfield for Williams and the Trojans' passing attack, his speed and athleticism can't be overlooked by opposing defenses. To date, he has 110 receiving yards and two touchdowns on nine receptions.