The accolades continue to come in for USC's Zachariah Branch following his freshman season.

On Thursday, it was announced that Branch had won the Jet Award, which is presented annually to the nation's most outstanding return specialist and chosen by a media panel made up of members of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and former Jet Award winners.

Branch is the award's 13th winner, joining former Trojan Adoree' Jackson who won the award in 2016, and other notable NFL stars like Christian McCaffrey (2015) and Tyler Lockett (2014).

Branch finished the 2023 season leading the nation in punt returns (20.8-yard average.) and ranked No. 3 in combined kick returns (774 yards) while scoring on both a punt and kickoff return touchdown.

He had a 96-yard kickoff return for a TD vs. San Jose State on Aug. 26 and returned a punt for a 75-yard TD vs. Stanford on Sept. 9. He is the first Trojan since Jackson in 2016 to have a punt return and kickoff return for a TD, as well as at least one receiving TD in the same season. Jackson had 2 punt returns and 2 kickoff returns for TDs and 1 TD reception during the 2016 season.

Since 1971 (when records are available) Branch is one of just 3 USC players to accomplish the feat, joining Jackson and Curtis Conway (1992 – 1 kickoff return TD, 1 punt return TD, 5 rec TDs).

Branch also finished with 31 catches for 320 yards and 2 TDs and rushed for 70 yards on 9 carries with 1 TD. Branch is USC's first-ever true freshman First Team All-American, after being named a USA Today first-team All-American as a returner, a PFF first-team All-American as a return specialist and a Sporting News first-team All-American as a punt returner. Branch was also named to the Walter Camp All-American second team and the FWAA All-American second team as a kick returner. He is the only freshman to earn placement on either of those teams.

Additionally, he was named an All-Pac-12 first-teamer as a return specialist.