2023 four-star athlete Zachariah Branch details offer from Vols
2023 four-star athlete Zachariah Branch was thrilled when his high school football coach texted him and told him to give Tennessee a call. Waiting on the other end of the line was a scholarship offer from the Vols.
“I was really excited to get to talk to Tennessee’s coaching staff and hear what they had to say about how I would fit in their program,” Branch said of the offer. “It was huge just coming from a big program like that.”
Tennessee is the latest to offer the Las Vegas, Nevada native as his list of offers approaches 20. The Vols are the fifth SEC school to offer Roberts, joining Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and LSU.
Branch spoke with Tennessee offensive coordinator Alex Golesh, wide receivers coach Kodi Burns and defensive coordinator Tim Banks on the call.
“They were very genuine people,” Branch said. “I feel like I could build a relationship with them. It’s early, but it was good to start building the relationship.”
Bishop Gorman High School is three time zones away from Knoxville, but Branch doesn’t see that as a deterrent from considering the Vols. The 5-foot-10, 173 lbs. athlete hopes to make it to the south this summer in order to visit several schools, including Tennessee.
Branch does have a connection to Rocky Top. Current Tennessee wide receiver Cedric Tillman went to the same high school and ran track for Branch’s dad.
“It would affect me a little, just being that far away from my family and friends, but if they could get out there and see me play it wouldn’t be that big of an adjustment,” Branch said. “I could definitely see myself playing in that system and that would definitely be a school I could see myself going to.”
Like Tillman, Branch also runs track. He participates in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m, 4x200m, long jump and triple jump. He claims to have run a 100m time of 10.56. That speed is what Tennessee likes about Branch’s game.
“They really like my speed and my explosiveness,” Branch said. “They said they could really use somebody in their offense that is versatile, that can play outside, slot and show that speed on the field and zoom past defenders. They feel I can be that player.
"Just given they play at that high-caliber level, I definitely could see myself playing at Tennessee and in that system.”
Branch caught 18 passes for 391 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman in 2019. He did not have a sophomore season due to COVID-19 restrictions in the state of Nevada.