WeAreSC Roundtable: Biggest Impact True Freshman for the USC Trojans
Sticking with the 2023 true freshman theme this week, the WeAreSC Roundtable asks the staff to select the true freshman who will make the biggest impact this season for the USC Trojans.
Chris Arledge
There’s an easy answer to this question, and everybody knows what it is. Some of the other guys – maybe all of them – will avoid the easy answer. They’ll try to be creative. They’ll pretend that there’s somebody else who might outperform the obvious pick.
But they’re only doing that to keep things interesting. And I don’t care if things are interesting. Zachariah Branch is the freshman who will make the biggest impact.
On a roster this stacked, only a few freshmen will play much. Sam Greene and Braylan Shelby will probably get time on the edge. Tackett Curtis is a future star who will play – probably a lot – at linebacker. Duce Robinson will get some time because he’s freakishly talented. But only Zachariah Branch will break through a really talented position group and make a difference every week. Why? Because he’s going to be the most explosive Trojan since Reggie. Because he’ll have the type of impact on defenses that Tyreke Hill does in the NFL or Rocket Ismail had at Notre Dame, forcing defenses to account for him and worry about him on every play. And because he’s just that good.
Sometimes the obvious answer is obvious for a reason.
Greg Katz
Branch.
Marc Kulkin
The easy answer would be to say Zachariah Branch, and that’s a smart bet. However, I need a red-zone target like Duce Robinson who stands 6-foot-6 that can outjump the smaller defensive backs.
Dylan Brashier
I’m going to try to be creative and not pick the obvious choice of Zach Branch. So I’ll go with running back Quinten Joyner. Behind Branch, Joyner was the second-best freshman in the spring game. I love his ground-and-pound style of running, and his impact in his first college outing. He gained 92 yards and a touchdown off of just six carries. That’s an average of 15.3 YPC. As RB4 heading into the season, I would not be shocked if he overtook Darwin Barlow for that RB3 spot. I can guarantee that we’ll see a powerful statement this fall from Quinten Joyner.
Erik McKinney
It’s Branch. I feel pretty confident that there’s another freshman somewhere in this 2023 group who makes an impact much earlier than expected. But for this question, there is zero reason to go with anyone other than Branch. It’s true that he’s done nothing of consequence in a regular-season college football game. But if he stays healthy, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him among the team leaders in receptions at the end of the season.
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