Georgia signed the No. 2 overall recruiting class for the 2025 cycle. It brought in 10 players out of the transfer portal.

Yet of all the new additions to the Georgia roster, one stands out above the rest. That would be wide receiver Zachariah Branch, who ESPN’s Billy Tucker dubbed as the team’s top newcomer.

“Branch could have the best season of his career in Athens and help the Dawgs offense become more consistent than a year ago,” T He’s the ultimate underneath checkdown and safety valve who can create separation with his suddenness and will complement Georgia’s bigger outside targets, such as Texas A&M transfer Noah Thomas, to create mismatches."

Branch was one of two wide receivers the Bulldogs landed out of the transfer portal, with Thomas being the other.

Branch had the better performance on G-Day, hauling in a 36-yard pass from Gunner Stockton.

The USC transfer, who arrived with his brother Zion in Athens in January, explained why there was a mutual interest between himself and the Georgia program.

“They just felt like I was an explosive player and, you know, also a great person off the field who could be a great fit in the locker room, you know, to help encourage certain guys to ultimately reach that goal towards the end of the season,” Branch said earlier this spring. “That was something that they really told me. They felt like me and my brother both were great people as well as players. So I just felt like I wanted to get a chance to be a part of that tradition and that culture at Georgia.”

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart did note that Branch had to miss some practice time during the spring due to an unspecified injury. That set Branch back somewhat, as he is in the process of learning a new offense.

In his final season at USC, Branch caught 47 passes for 503 yards and a touchdown. He’ll hope to build off of that in a Georgia wide receiver room that has a lot of potential, in part because of all the new additions to the group.

Georgia signed five wide receivers in the 2025 recruiting cycle, including 5-star prospect Talyn Taylor. The Bulldogs also get back wide receiver Colbie Young, who missed the final nine games of the 2024 season due to a suspension.

There’s optimism surrounding the wide receiver room, which led the country in drops last season with 36. The addition of Branch plays some part in that.

“The group we have — the core group we have — is really tough and physical, and we want to continue to grow everybody to be that way,” Smart said after G-Day.

While Branch might have been the splashiest addition this offseason, he is far from the only one generating optimism entering the 2025 season. Army transfer Elo Modozie brings some much-needed production to the outside linebacker room while running back Joshua McCray could be the perfect compliment to sophomore Nate Frazier. Both transferred to Georgia during the spring portal window.

Freshman defensive tackle Elijah Griffin has also turned some heads early in his time in Athens. Georgia has often gotten strong production out of its freshmen and Griffin seems to be the safest bet to do so in 2025.