Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 63-3vs Tennessee State | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 1 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 70-20vs Western Kentucky | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#2
Zion Branch
Senior safety on Georgia's 2026 roster.
6′2″ · 210 lb · Las Vegas, NV · Bishop Gorman HS
CFB Index 30 · #443 of 544 safetiesMedium confidenceReturning to Georgia for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
Recruiting
4★
S recruit
No. 58 nationally · Signed with USC
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 safety on Georgia's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to USC in 2022.
- Transferred from USC to Georgia in 2025.
- Louisville QB Marty Lowe dies (Sep 9) Reported
Buzz vs Tape
Fans warmer than rivals
His own fans are far more bullish than the rival fanbase.
27.1own fans
-25rival fans
Also worth knowing:
Zion Branch
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. Across four seasons and two programs, two head coaches: Lincoln Riley and Kirby Smart. One game to point at: 1 tackles against Western Kentucky — Week 2, 2026.
2 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
2022
- Signed with USC4-star out of Bishop Gorman
20259 games
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Georgia
Played his entire career under Kirby Smart.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023USC8-5HC: Lincoln Riley · Pass-leaning, slow tempo
2024USC7-6HC: Lincoln Riley · Pass-leaning
2025Georgia12-2HC: Kirby Smart · Run-leaning
2026Georgia2-0HC: Kirby Smart · Balanced, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 1.0 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Kirby Smart
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
30 · #443 of 544 safeties
Former four-star. Now #443 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-SEC
Based on 2025: #21 of 28 SEC Ss
- #1A.J. Haulcy
- #20Sage Ryan
- #21Zion Branch
- #22Anquon Fegans
How the All-SEC estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 63–3
1 TOT
Dominant 60-point win at home against Tennessee State.
With S. White — 3 rec · 34 yds · G. Stockton — 202 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Georgia
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Safety · Georgia
Returning around him
- 8 Georgia players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -7 net (9 in / 16 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Georgia · Last season: 12-2 (AP #2) · Talent rank #1 · 2026 recruiting class #6
DNA match
Player DNA
Hybrid Nickel
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Ambe' Caldwell’s 2024 season.
Matches Ambe' on
Tackle volume
TFL rate
Weight
Differs from Ambe' on
Class year (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Zachary Tobe's junior season at Georgia Tech (2025).
87%match
Matches Zachary on
Class year
PD rate
Tackle volume
Player DNA
Players who play like Zion Branch
Background
CAREER HIGHS 7 tackles vs. Marshall, 2025 2 sacks vs. Penn State, 2024 (USC) 1 forced fumble vs Stanford, 2023 (USC) 2 pass break-ups vs. Penn State, 2024 (USC) 2025: Appeared in 11 games during the season...made 27 tackles, 19 solo, one tackle for loss for a yard and two pass break ups...made Ge...
The secondary · Georgia
- #4KJ Bolden77 tackles · 2025
- #12Ja'Marley Riddle70 tackles · 2025
- #7Khalil Barnes40 tackles · 2025
- #2Zion Branch28 tackles · 2025
- #8Demello Jones24 tackles · 2025
16 more on the roster · Georgia team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology