4 Zachariah Branch transfer destinations that could win a CFP contender a title

Perhaps the most electric and explosive player in college football, USC wide receiver and returner Zachariah Branch, is now in the transfer portal. Amid a mass exodus for the Trojans program that raises further questions for Lincoln Riley and his future in Los Angeles, Branch is now heading to greener pastures. And based on what we know, it seems like he knows where he's going after entering the portal with the "do not contact" tag.

Branch, who was rated as the No. 4 overall player in the 2023 recruiting cycle in the 247 Sports Composite rankings, has never quite found his footing or lived up to his potential at USC. There have been flashes, though, despite his 503 receiving yards as a sophomore this season being a career-high. His speed, versatility and overwhelming athleticism give him the look of a player who, with the right change of scenery in the transfer portal, could take the college football world by storm.

The "do not contact" tag means that Branch likely already knows where he's headed. Reading between the lines, it would make sense if a College Football Playoff contender was already ready to drop the NIL bag to land him. Specifically, Branch could take these four CFP teams from in the mix to national championship favorites if that's where he lands.

4. Ohio State Buckeyes

Despite the uncertainty around Ryan Day's future at Ohio State, the Buckeyes have been a wide receiver factory. Even if they move to replace Day as head coach, the main force behind that, Brian Hartline, figures to be kept around and continue the wide receiver pipeline running through Columbus. And given that OSU was in on Branch as a recruit, it figures if they'd have interest again in the portal.

There are some real questions about what quarterback looks like moving forward with the Buckeyes with both Kyle McCord and Will Howard being one-year starters. Perhaps that's Julian Sayin, which would make sense if they can hang onto him. At the same time, though, if you could pair of Branch's caliber with Jeremiah Smith for the foreseeable future, that's a way to elevate Ohio State's offense to near unguardable levels (and perhaps mask any inefficiencies at quarterback).

Given the tumult that could be brewing in Columbus, it's hard to full say that the Buckeyes would be the ones that will get Branch and are leading this charge. Yet, we know this program has been aggressive even just in the past year with the portal and their NIL fund, so it wouldn't be a shock at all to see him land with Ohio State if that's the direction we're heading in.

3. Georgia Bulldogs

So much of the criticism around the Georgia Bulldogs offense this season came down to two scapegoats: quarterback Carson Beck and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo. While the latter is probably wholly justified, the criticism of Beck has long deserved context. Namely, the group of pass-catchers in Athens right now has simply been devoid of difference-makers, something that could be a persistent problem for the Dawgs moving forward as Dominic Lovett and Arian Smith depart.

Branch, on the other hand, could be that difference-maker. When you think back to the creative ways, even with Bobo calling plays, that guys like Ladd McConkey or Brock Bowers were used in the Georgia offense were used in the offense, translate that to someone with the athleticism and upside of Brnach. That becomes special and something that could elevate Gunner Stockton or Jaden Rashada or whoever else.

With where Kirby Smart has the Bulldogs program right now, they are in on whoever they want to be in on when it comes to the transfer portal. That's never a guarantee but it would be hard to look at the state of the Georgia wide receiver room moving into 2025 and not start to salivate about the possibility of adding Branch to that mix.

2. Texas Longhorns

It's felt like the Texas Longhorns have made it a habit of adding one big splash at wide receiver per offseason. Leading into the 2023 season, Steve Sarkisian went out and brought AD Mitchell to Austin. This past offseason, it was Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond, among others, who joined the Longhorns. While there were mixed results with those two players, it's a trend that you ultimately have to follow, especially when a player of Branch's caliber hits the open market.

Furthermore, Texas now finds itself in a likely position wherein they'll be transitioning at quarterback from Quinn Ewers to Arch Manning. Given the investment that the latter, the former No. 1 overall recruit in Branch's class, has put into the Longhorns to stick around, there should be an effort to put him in the best possible position for success. Adding Branch to this offense would absolutely play a part in that, especially with the mobility of Manning and return of C.J. Baxter in the backfield.

We've also seen recent reports that indicate the Longhorns could be the highest-spending NIL program in college football. That puts them in the realm of being able to get their guy just about whenever they want. Based on the situation, Branch should absolutely be considered their guy.

1. Oregon Ducks

Obviously, with the Phil Knight and Nike money behind the Oregon football program right now and with Dan Lanning having this thing humming in Eugene, the Ducks were always going to be a factor for Branch when considering potential destinations. That's especially true when you consider that Evan Stewart and Tez Johnson are likely both heading for the NFL Draft once the College Football Playoff concludes for Oregon.

What's interesting, though, is that some tea-leave reading might tell you that the Ducks are the ones behind the "do not contact" tag Branch is carrying into the transfer portal. On Thursday, 5-star recruit Dallas Wilson rescinded his paperwork from teh Ducks after just officially committing earlier in December and is now projected to go to Florida. Could that be because Wilson's spot now belongs to Branch in the 2025 offense?

That's not reporting or even confirmed at this point — it is, however, a legitimate possibility for how things have happened. Moreover, this would be a huge get for Oregon to continue building this newfound foundation in the Big Ten and become a perennial national power. And considering they're entering this year's CFP with the only undefeated record in the country, this would definitely be the way to maintain status as a top-level team in college football.