Ohio State gets unprecedented chance at landing elite 5-star brothers in transfer portal
Recruiting is all about creating relationships, and the Ohio State Buckeyes might benefit from their efforts from several years ago. Even though the Buckeyes missed out on elite recruits Zion and Zachariah Branch in 2022 and 2023, respectfully, the former USC stars just hit the transfer portal. They're expected to follow each other to their […]
Recruiting is all about creating relationships, and the Ohio State Buckeyes might benefit from their efforts from several years ago. Even though the Buckeyes missed out on elite recruits Zion and Zachariah Branch in 2022 and 2023, respectfully, the former USC stars just hit the transfer portal. They're expected to follow each other to their next destination.
That could bode incredibly well for the Buckeyes, who still need help at receiver and safety. The Buckeyes were the first to reach out to Branch, who had Ohio State as one of his finalists before going to USC.
Former Ohio State assistant Matt Barnes and current star receivers coach Brian Hartline did well to build relationships with the Branch brothers. Now, with the Buckeyes entering a transition year in 2025 with new starters all over the field, getting a couple of proven studs can help alleviate the concern.
In 2023, Zachariah earned the Jet Award as the best returner and became the first true freshman in USC history to be named a First Team All-American, largely due to his kick and punt returner contributions.
He was tied for the team lead with 47 receptions, accumulating 503 yards and one touchdown.
Zion, a safety, participated in every game for USC this season, making 19 total tackles, recording three pass breakups, and one sack.
A four-star recruit in the 2022 class, Zion was ranked No. 58 overall by 247 Sports and chose USC over offers from schools like Oklahoma, Ohio State, Alabama, and many others.
Zachariah, a five-star recruit in the 2023 class, was rated No. 7 overall by 247 Sports and decided to join the Trojans after considering offers from 27 different programs.
