Zachariah Branch announced on Monday that he will be entering his name into the 2026 NFL draft. He played his last game for Georgia in the 2026 Sugar Bowl as part of the College Football Playoff. In that game, he was targeted nine times, caught eight passes for 67 yards, and scored a touchdown.
According to PFF, Branch was targeted a total of 93 times, caught 81 (87%) for 811 yards (10 yards per catch), and scored 6 touchdowns. Branch dropped just 2 passes. His 81 catches broke Georgia’s single-season record for catches, which was previously set at 76. He is also the first Georgia receiver to catch 80 passes in a season.
Branch transferred to UGA from USC this past offseason. He posted a tweet thanking USC, Georgia, their staffs, players, and fans for believing in and supporting him.
“I want to sincerely thank Coach Smart, Coach Bobo, and Coach Coley, for the trust, leadership, and mentorship you’ve provided during my time at the University of Georgia,” Branch wrote. “I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity. You have allowed me to grow within this program and I appreciate the standard of excellence you demanded from me each and every day. My experience as a DAWG was nothing short of amazing. To my DAWG BROTHERS, we created a bond that goes beyond football, and I will remember those moments forever. DAWG NATION, thank you for your unwavering support. You welcomed me with open arms. Having the opportunity to play between the hedges and winning the SEC Championship is a story only God could have written and for that, I am forever grateful. GO DAWGS!”
With Branch gone, Georgia needs to replace his production
Georgia needs to replace Branch’s production. It also needs to replace Colbie Young’s, who is headed to the NFL draft as well.
Former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray discussed the Dawgs’ need at the position:
“They need to find some receivers,” Murray said. “Branch had what, 80 catches, and the next closest guy was 27. You’ve got to find ways to get more weapons. All the best offenses in college football right now have multiple weapons. Ohio State had multiple guys, Ole Miss has multiple guys.
You can’t just be a one-headed monster at the receiving position. You’ve got to have a couple dudes that can go out there and play. You think about LSU, you think about Alabama when they were really rolling, it’s multiple guys taking the top off a defense. It felt like Georgia had that early in the season, then obviously losing someone for several weeks is tough.
I’m hoping they get two or three guys in the portal this year who are legit game-changers, because at the end of the day, Georgia still needs more than just one.”
Who shoyld Georgia target in the transfer portal?
Georgia was targeting Kansas State wide receiver Jayce Brown. Hayes Fawcett of On3 said a visit was lined up. However, Brown committed to LSU on Tuesday. So that answers that.
Another wide receiver who has entered the Transfer Portal that will be visiting Georgia is Tre Richardson of Vanderbilt, according to Max Olson of ESPN.
Richardson stands 5-10, weighing 165 pounds. He was rated a 3-star (0.8692) by 247Sports Composite as a JUCO transfer. Richardson was targeted 72 times, catching 46 (63.9%) for 806 yards (17.5 yards per catch) and scoring 7 touchdowns. He did drop 4 passes.
Richardson brings the same kind of speed and explosion that Branch brought to the offense in 2025.
