Two members of the USC football team just landed a historic NIL deal with the Jordan Brand.

According to college football insider Pete Thamel, brothers Zachariah and Zion Branch will become the first college football NIL endorsees for the iconic brand founded by former UNC and NBA superstar, Michael Jordan. As of now, the terms of the new deal haven’t been released.

 

Other notable Jordan athletes include Dak Prescott, Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurts who are all stars in the NFL right now.

Zion Branch is entering his third season playing for USC as a redshirt sophomore. In 2023, he recorded 22 tackles, including 1 for loss of 12 yards and 1 forced fumble while playing in 9 games with 1 start (California) before suffering a season-ending lower body injury as a redshirt freshman.

He had 1 tackle against San Jose State and 3 tackles against Nevada. Branch decorated his stat sheet with 3 tackles, including 1 for loss of 12 yards and 1 forced fumble against Stanford. He recorded 4 tackles against Notre Dame, a career-high 6 tackles versus Utah and 3 tackles against California.

His younger brother, Zachariah, thrived in the passing game as a true freshman for USC last season. He was third on the team in receptions (31) and fourth in receiving yards (320). He should play a bigger role this year with Tahj Washington and Brenden Rice in the NFL.

The younger Branch was also an All-American returner as a true freshman while displaying an electric ability in the open field. The 5’10” wideout brings versatility to the Trojans, averaging 18.4 yards per kick return and 20.8 yards per punt return.