The college football season hasn’t started, but standout brothers Zachariah and Zion Branch are already making history.
The University of Southern California stars have signed multiyear NIL deals with Jordan Brand—the first college football players to ink contracts with the apparel company inspired by NBA legend Michael Jordan. The brothers, who are great nephews of the late Pro Football Hall of Famer Cliff Branch, join a star-studded football roster of 17 players that includes Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
“It’s a huge blessing,” Zachariah Branch said in an interview. “It’s just an honor to be chosen since there’s only a select few that go through this with Jordan Brand. We’re making history. … Jordan is the standard; he’s greatness. We’re excited about it and super grateful for the opportunity.”
Zachariah, a wide receiver and return specialist, is coming off a strong freshman season in which he earned first-team All-American honors. His older brother Zion, a redshirt sophomore safety, looks to bounce back after suffering a season-ending injury last season. The highly recruited brothers out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas join an exclusive group of women hoopers as Jordan Brand college endorsers: UCLA’s Kiki Rice, LSU’s Mikaylah Williams and Rutgers’ Kiyomi McMiller.
“We’ve always held ourselves to a certain standard on and off the field,” Zion Branch added. “Nothing really changes.”
Jordan Brand signed Randy Moss as its first pro football player in 1999, two years after becoming its own brand within Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE). Moss was one of the first players to wear Jordan Retros on the field, and he had his own cleats, the Super Freak—the NFL’s first signature Air Jordan. More than 20 years later, the Jordan Brand business has become a top performer in the global apparel market, surpassing $7 billion in revenue for fiscal year 2024.
The Branch brothers, repped by Excel Sports Management, have partnered together on sponsorship campaigns with C4 Energy, Gillette and Honey Stinger. The Jordan deal, they say, is “top tier” thanks to the premier athletes associated with the brand. This includes Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams, who Zachariah got a chance to speak with during training camp this summer. The six-time Pro Bowler gave him tips on self-preservation and game preparation.
Unlike Adams, the Branch brothers won’t be able to sport their new Jordan merchandise on the field. Jordan Brand currently outfits six college football programs: Oklahoma, Florida, Michigan, UCLA, North Carolina and Howard University—but not USC, which is a Nike school that exclusively sports the Swoosh rather than the Jordan “Jumpman” logo.
The brothers Branch, however, will wear Jordan gear in other capacities, like around the team facilities and during non-game activities.
They’ll have the chance to promote the brand off the field during tunnel photoshoots and other content creation opportunities. Jordan Brand can leverage the brothers’ 180,000-plus combined Instagram followers. That online following is poised to grow, with Zachariah touted as one of the most dynamic players in college football.
“We’re trying to set the example for people on our team and around us,” Zachariah said. “You just got to know that when you put your mind to it, work hard and trust in God, opportunities are going to come.”
