Report: USC's Zachariah, Zion Branch Enter CFB Transfer Portal After 2024 Season

USC is reportedly set to lose a pair of talented young players who are a package deal.

According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, brothers Zachariah and Zion Branch are entering the NCAA transfer portal and are expected to go to their next destination together.

As Thamel noted, Zachariah Branch was a freshman All-American wide receiver in 2023 when he posted 31 catches for 320 yards and two touchdowns plus a rushing touchdown. He was also one of the top return men in the nation with 16 punt returns for 332 yards and a touchdown as well as 24 kickoff returns for 442 yards and another score.

He showed marginal improvement this season with 47 catches for 507 yards and a touchdown, though he didn't maintain his role as a returner. He was a 5-star prospect and the No. 1 wide receiver in the class of 2023 in 247Sports' composite, so he should be one of the most sought-after players in the transfer portal this offseason.

This latest departure is another hit to the wide receiver room for the Trojans, as junior Kyron Hudson and sophomore Duce Robinson also entered the transfer portal. No receiver on USC reached the 700-yard mark this season as the team finished with a 6-6 record.

A safety, Zion Branch was a 4-star prospect and the No. 6 player at his position in the class of 2023. He recorded a combined 41 total tackles, three passes defended, a sack and a forced fumble in his two years with the Trojans.