FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Everyone at the University of Georgia knew what 2025 was for Zachariah Branch.
It wasn't a year to mess around, nor was it one in which he was just biding his time.
No. It was a business trip.
After two seasons at USC, Branch took his talents across the country to Athens. He was already on the radar of Atlanta Falcons scouts well before making the move. Now, he was simply closer, facing SEC competition that was just a bit more intense.
Branch was already good. His first two seasons at USC proved that. But he wanted more. When he got to Athens, that's exactly what he found.
"Georgia made it an emphasis to get the ball in his hands," Falcons area scout Shepley Heard said. "He showed what he could do."
He did so to the tune of 811 receiving yards on 81 catches. Those receptions led the SEC, while his 811 receiving yards and six touchdowns paced Georgia's offense.
"He put those numbers up," Heard said, "and I think everybody in the country knew about this kid."
That was the goal from the beginning.
According to Heard and his Georgia contacts, Branch was locked in from Day 1. Focused, driven and determined. He wanted a big year, and everyone at Georgia saw how hard he worked for it.
"He went from USC and you wonder how he's going to translate from that environment to Georgia and Kirby (Smart) and that structure with that intensity of practice week in and week out," Heard said, "and they raved about him. This guy fit right in Day 1.
"He knew what his job was, and it was to come in to work and to go out on the field and put up these numbers and explosive plays, and that is what he did."
That, along with his skill set, is what makes Branch such a complementary piece in Atlanta's receiver room.
"For us, he adds an element of speed and explosiveness that I think you're looking for every year," Heard explained. "It's hard to find those guys that can do that and to have proved it at USC and proved it at Georgia, gosh, you can move him around, put him at different positions, he can play special teams, he can return. He can do a lot of things. So, adding that piece to the puzzle of our offense, it's really exciting."
