USC football: Sophomore drawing comparisons to Dolphins' $90,000,000 WR Tyreek Hill
USC football has had many star players come through its program over the years, but few have generated more buzz than sophomore Zachariah Branch. After a standout freshman season where he was named a first-team All-American, Branch is drawing comparisons with Miami Dolphins superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
Who is Tyreek Hill and how big a star is he?
Tyreek Hill is widely considered by fans and experts to be one of the best wide receivers in the NFL.
Hill is on one of the most expensive non-quarterback contracts in the NFL. It will pay him up to $90 million over the next three seasons, $59 million of which is guaranteed. He signed this contract with the Miami Dolphins after a prolific career with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Hill has earned first-team All-Pro honors five times in his career. Additionally, he has been named to the Pro Bowl in all eight seasons of his career. He was the NFL receiving yards and receiving touchdowns leader in 2023. Hill was also named to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team.
In eight seasons, the highly-regarded WR has gained over 10,000 passing yards and averages 14.1 yards per carry. He is also a one-time Super Bowl champion. So, drawing comparisons with Tyreek Hill is an impressive feat.
Does USC football star Zachariah Branch deserve these comparisons?
Although Branch is still very young, it is hard to argue that the USC football star does not deserve these comparisons. His freshman stats are nearly identical to Hill's first-year stats at a school that was not a community college.
It is worth mentioning that Hill spent two years at community college before transferring to Oklahoma State. Stats in those years are not comparable.
In Branch's freshman season, he had 31 receptions for 320 yards, 1 touchdown, and 10.3 average yards per carry. Hill also had 31 receptions, but for 281 yards, 1 touchdown and 9.1 yards per carry.
So Branch, the USC football star, actually has better stats than Hill in their first Division 1 season. However, it is worth mentioning that Hill spent some time playing running back with Oklahoma State.
However, it is not just stats that earn Branch these comparisons. It is his attributes that make him such a high-quality prospect. National recruiting analyst Greg Biggins said:
"We've been comparing Zach to Tyreek Hill since he was a sophomore in high school because (of his) size, speed, explosiveness."
So, while Branch certainly has big shoes to fill, the comparison to Tyreek Hill is deserved at this point in the USC football prodigy's career.