The Tar Heels are continuing to search for game changers in the transfer portal to add to Bill Belichick’s first team in Chapel Hill and they are now being connected to one of the top wide receivers in the portal along with his brother.
Earlier this week, 247Sports transfer portal insider Matt Zenitz reported that the Tar Heels are making a push for USC transfer wide receiver Zachariah Branch and his brother, Zion. This push from the Tar Heels comes after it was seen as a two school race between Georgia and Arizona State, the two schools the duo have already visited. The two have confirmed that they will be a package deal and sign with the same program when they find the right destination. Both guys will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Zachariah, the No. 4 overall player and No. 2 wide receiver in the portal according to 247Sports, is coming off two solid seasons to begin his career in Los Angeles. He played in eleven of the team’s 13 games, catching 31 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 70 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. This season, he became even more involved in the Trojans offense, catching 47 passes for 503 yards and a touchdown and carrying the ball twice for 17 yards. He has handled the punt and kick return duties for the Trojans the last two years, leading the country in punt return average on his way to earning the Johnny “the Jet” Rodgers Award as the nation’s best return specialist and becoming the first USC freshman to be named a first team All-American.
Zion, the No. 15 safety in the portal, came to USC as a high-rated prospect, but wasn’t able to establish a consistent role in the secondary. He missed the entirety of his true freshman season in 2022 with a knee injury that he suffered in the summer prior to his first fall camp. In 2023, he played in the first nine games of the season between defense and special teams, but suffered another season-ending knee injury in his first career start against California. He finished that season with 22 total tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss while allowing two of his four targets to be caught for 20 yards and a touchdown in 140 defensive snaps and 95 special teams snaps. This season was his first fully healthy season and he played in all twelve games between defense and special teams, starting the team’s game against Rutgers. He finished the year with 19 total tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and three breakup while allowing ten of his 16 targets to be caught for 117 yards and two touchdowns in 217 defensive snaps and 73 special teams snaps. While he might not have held down a starting role in the first three years on campus, the USC staff was high on him and envisioned him as their starter next season according to Trojans 247Sports writer Chris Trevino.
Clearly Zachariah is the biggest draw with just how electric he is with the football in his hands, but with the issues the team has had at safety, Zion should also be seen as a very attractive target as well. The question now becomes can the new Tar Heel staff actually get this duo on campus?
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