Zachariah Branch is a wide receiver prospect from the University of Georgia who hopes to be taken in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Branch spent just one season at Georgia after transferring in from USC. In his lone season in Athens, he set a school record with 81 receptions, while also working as a dynamic punt returner for the Bulldogs.
Zachariah Branch measurables to know for 2026 NFL Draft
- 5-foot-8 5/8
- 177 pounds
- 29 3/8-inch arms
- 9-inch hands
- 4.35 40-yard dash
- 38-inch vertical
- 10-foot-5 broad jump
- 20 bench press reps
Zachariah Branch stats and accolades during his time at Georgia
- 81 receptions, 811 yards and 6 touchdowns for Georgia last season, leading the team in each category
- Second Team All-SEC in 2025, leading the SEC in receptions
- Also worked as Georgia’s punt returner, picking up 180 punt return yards on 15 returns.
- Was a First Team All-American in 2023 as a punt returner
- While at USC, won the Jet Award, given to the nation’s top return specialist
- Was the No. 1 ranked wide receiver prospect in the country for the 2023 recruiting class
- Had 159 career receptions, 1,634 career receiving yards and nine touchdowns during his three-year college career
- Older brother Zion is a defensive back at Georgia
What Georgia coach Kirby Smart said about Zachariah Branch
“Yeah, he jumped right in. He was humble. He met a lot to learn our system and learn our terminology. He’s a football junkie. There’s not a day I’ll leave the office that he’s not down there catching balls, running routes, doing extra. He loves football, and that’s what one of the number one qualities for being a good pro is, is do you love it?”
What Zachariah Branch brings to an NFL team
Branch is one of the more polarizing prospects in this year’s NFL draft.
On the positives, he brings proven production to go along with top-notch speed and acceleration. Georgia coaches and teammates raved about his work ethic when he arrived in Athens, fitting in seamlessly to a program that proudly isn’t for everyone. He is also an elite special teams play that will at least make an impact in that part of the game.
The knocks on Branch include his size, as he’s one of the smaller wide receivers in the draft. He also doesn’t have the longest arms, which leaves him with a smaller catch radius. At Georgia, he ran a screen on 25.4% of his routes, the most in the country. He also didn’t have a significant amount of explosive plays despite having top-notch speed.
Branch is very much an eye of the beholder prospect. Some teams might simply see him as a screen machine and special teams player. Others could try to tap into his athletic gifts to further stretch the field.
It does bear mentioning that Branch was arrested in Athens this past weekend on two misdemeanor charges of obstructing public sidewalks/streets — prowling and obstruction of a law enforcement official. The Athens Clarke County Police Department has not yet released the full police report of the event.
