Steve Smith Sr. really didn’t hold back when talking about how Georgia used their star wide receiver, Zachariah Branch, this past season. The former Carolina Panthers legendary wideout flat-out said Kirby Smart’s staff did a massive “disservice” to him by keeping him in a tiny box. Even though Branch was breaking 30-year-old school records with 81 catches, Smith called his specific role “utterly pathetic.”
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“Listen to this, and this is disturbing and just utterly pathetic. Corner route, post route and a comeback route, 1% of 1%. You are talking about, ‘I almost cursed when I work’. You talking about banana in a tailpipe, setting a guy up to fail or not, giving him enough opportunities to be drafted, is what the Georgia offense did to these wide receivers,” the four-time all pro wideout called out viciously for low-balling Zachariah Branch’s and wide-out crops’ talent.
I want you to tell everybody what you see him becoming, right? Because that’s what we have to do with this breakdown of Zachariah Branch. Is what do you see him becoming when he now has left this offense when he has the ability, it’s so hard to is it’s hard to tell. That’s what everybody’s trying to figure out right now,” Smith added.
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The biggest issue Smith pointed out was the “cheap” way Branch got his yards. He noted that Branch had an average depth of target of only 3.6 yards, which is crazy low for a superstar. Smith’s point is that while Branch is elite with the ball in his hands (racking up 533 yards after the catch), just feeding him screens and short hitches doesn’t prove he can run a real NFL route tree. Based on the calculations, Georgia’s scheme meant that roughly around about 80% of his career receiving yards had to come after the catch just to make the offense.
Legendary NFL receiver Steve Smith was talking about Zachariah Branch’s role in the UGA offense this season and called it “utterly pathetic” (swipe) 😳
Apparently Branch only ran a corner, comeback, or post route on 1% of his total routes run. He says that the Dawgs are not… pic.twitter.com/k7OJJBotuC
— Recruits CFB (@recruits_cfb) April 11, 2026
To a pro like Smith, that’s a waste of talent. He said this kind of coaching forces a player and his agent into a “salesman role” where they have to beg NFL teams to believe the kid can do more than what’s on his game film.
However, it creates a weird gap between college success and pro potential. On paper, Branch had no less of a year than any other receivers in D1. The former USC WR led the team with 811 yards and tied for the lead with 6 touchdowns. But Smith explains that “film” is different from “stats.” One of the very first things scouts do is that they see if a receiver can beat a physical cornerback on a 15-yard comeback or even maybe deep post.
Because it’s bread and butter for an NFL wideout, a basic requirement that one would even argue. But Georgia’s scheme mostly hid those skills from Branch and others before him. Smith thinks the talent is obviously there, but the system made it look like Branch can only win one specific way, apparently.
The irony here is, even after all this fugazy, Zachariah Branch doesn’t feel robbed one bit.
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Branch himself doesn’t seem to share Smith’s frustration. Since declaring for the draft, he’s had nothing but good things to say about his time in Athens. He even mentioned that Georgia gave him opportunities he didn’t have at USC. At Trojans football, he was more or less merely a return specialist, let alone an undisputed true WR1.
Look no further than George Pickens of Dallas this season. He had 1,429 yards and 9 TDs, all while being WR2 on the team. You can add guys like Ladd McConkey at the Chargers and pass-receiving tight end Brock Bowers. They all seem to thrive in their positions.
Despite the “gadget” labels, some top analysts like Mel Kiper Jr. have ranked him as high as the No. 4 WR and the 23rd overall prospect on their big boards. Some talent evaluators project him as a Day 2 pick or early third-round pick. Regardless of whether you agree with Smith or not, it’s clear that Zachariah Branch will be one of the most talked-about names as the 2026 NFL Draft approaches.
