Zachariah Branch’s USC debut sets up NIL stardom
LOS ANGELES (BVM) – The No. 1 wide receiver from the Class of 2023 was far from a mystery heading into his opening college game, but freshman USC wideout Zachariah Branch may have pushed the boundaries on his early expectations during his Trojans’ debut.
With 232 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns in his team’s win over San Jose State, the freshman wide receiver saw his time in the national spotlight come much earlier than many had anticipated. The Las Vegas native hauled in four passes for 58 yards and a touchdown, while also returning a kickoff for a 96-yard score. The impressive game elicited plenty of comparisons to former college greats, while fans around the game quickly tried to find out more about the budding star.
Following the USC win, Branch saw a boom in followers across his social media accounts. According to On3, the freshman wideout gained 9,000 followers and counting to his Instagram, making him a prime candidate for future NIL work. While Branch was already well on his way to banking in on his potential prospects, the week was a positive step for potential deals.
Ahead of the Week 0 action, Branch had an NIL evaluation that had held steady around $658,000 for the past few weeks. That number saw its first positive uptick since the beginning of August, jumping to $673,000 following Branch’s play against the Spartans. The Trojans freshman is currently represented by Excel Sports Management which has helped plenty of athletes in baseball and basketball space secure deals. Branch has so far partnered with Philips Norelco for work on his TikToK.
Heading into the year, the wideout had the sixth-highest valuation of any college football freshmen at $613,000 and held the top valuation for all non-quarterback freshmen. The budding USC star now finds himself in the top 50 for all college football players according to On3, with his quarterback Caleb Williams, currently sitting at No. 2.
Williams has inked deals in the past with the likes of Beats by Dre, Dr. Pepper, and Wendy’s.
Branch could be on the way to his own success in the space as his career continues on at USC. The freshman wideout will look to replicate his work in Week 0 during the team’s next matchup against Nevada.
