What, you think the College Football Playoff is the only big news right now? Nope, there are still plenty of talented players in the transfer portal looking for a new home. When it comes to Tennessee football fans, there's one stud in particular they've got their eyes on.
That'd be USC wide receiver transfer Zachariah Branch, who is in the process of setting up more visits before making a decision. According to a report from On3's Pete Nakos, Branch is still in discussions with the Vols about making it over to Knoxville. On top of that, Nakos said that Texas is in the mix here, while Arizona State and Georgia are also contenders to land him.
The Tennessee Vols are still hoping to get a visit from Zachariah Branch
Nakos previously reported that head man Josh Heupel and his staff are going all in to get Branch to Knoxville to meet with them. Should a visit get scheduled, it could help the Vols win this recruiting battle - Branch would be a massive addition for the wide receivers room.
Thus far this offseason, five wideouts have entered the transfer portal, while it's still up in the air if former 5-star signee Mike Matthews will be back on campus or not. Matthews was planning to enter the portal, but his paperwork is yet to officially get submitted.
Heupel is also doing everything he can to make sure Matthews will return for the 2025 campaign. In the worst-case scenario, Tennessee takes the field without either guy on the field. The best-case scenario, though, would be quarterback Nico Iamaleava having Branch AND Matthews available to him for the aerial attack.
Branch was once the top-rated wide receiver in the country and for good reason. This kid has blazing speed and sure hands. He didn't quite live up to the hype with the USC Trojans, but he could prove to be a stud at his next stop. Only time will tell if that next stop is at Tennessee or not.