Dawgs Land Branch Brothers
Anthony Evans and Jaden Rashada
Okay, before we get to the good news, let’s get the bad news out of the way. WR Anthony Evans hit the portal, which is an expected move. He barely stayed this year, but still didn’t see much playing time or productivity. He is a talented slot receiver, but didn’t take care of the football. I’m sure he’ll go somewhere else and be fairly productive.
He also was rumored to be fairly vocal about his displeasure with his role on the team. Just a rumor, but it may be better that he’s gone.
QB Jaden Rashada also hit the portal, but this also was an expected move. Rashada wasn’t able to see the field this year and ended up 4th on the depth chart. While he got some experience playing in the PAC 12, it didn’t translate quickly enough. From what I’ve read, it’s not a talent issue, as much as being buried behind good players and needing time to get to know the system. His father was very supportive of Kirby Smart and the program on social media all season long.
The Branch Brothers
Now for the exciting news. Zachariah Branch and Zion Branch are transferring from Southern Cal. At the moment, Zach Branch is one of the most sought after receivers in the portal. He was a first-team All-America as a freshman in ‘23, returning kicks for 774 yards and catching 823 yards and 3 touchdowns.
He is explosive as a returner and will fill the slot receiver role that would have gone to Evans this year if he had stayed. Finding explosive receivers is an absolute must for the Dawg offense, and while UGA still needs more work to do, this is a big step in the right direction.
Hey, make sure you check out our picks on the GW Daily Picks page.
Zion
His brother, Zion, also fills a role of need at UGA—safety. UGA will lose its two starting safeties this season and have also seen a reserve safety transfer out in Jake Pope. Zion played a backup role at USC as a safety. His first two years were marred with injuries, but this past season he played in 12 games. As a redshirt sophomore, he recorded 19 tackles and 3 PBUs.
After losing the Sugar Bowl, fans have been calling for a change in NIL philosophy to dedicate more dollars to the offensive side of the ball. One can imagine that Kirby Smart and the UGA leadership contacted their big donors to say they need more after such a poor offensive performance not only this past week, but much of this year.
The good news is that if UGA is making an adjustment in NIL philosophy to dedicate more dollars to offense, we have seen the first signs. Let’s see if UGA can go and also haul in Texas A&M WR Noah Thomas, who would fill an even larger need for the Dawgs at the X receiver.
