INDIANAPOLIS – Zachariah Branch was met with a blast from the past in his formal interview with the Raiders at the NFL Combine.

As the Georgia receiver sat down with the coaches and front office staff, they pulled out a childhood picture of Branch, who grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In the photo, Branch is posing with the many track medals he racked up. They were lined up across his arms and his neck, serving as a portent at an early age of the athlete he'd become. The Raiders staff asked Branch to share what comes to mind when looking at the picture.

"I was like, 'The first thing you see man, there ain't too many bronze up there.'" Branch joked when relaying the story to the media Friday. "You see the gold and the silver on. It was pretty cool interview overall. I had a good time especially [being my] hometown team."

Before committing to the USC Trojans to follow his older brother Zion, he was a five-star athlete out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. ESPN and 247 Sports ranked him as the top prospect from the state of Nevada and nationally, the top wide receiver in the 2023 class, having won multiple state titles in football and track. His father, Shéva, is the track & field sprint and strength coach at his high school alma mater.

"I feel like I've been a pro since I was in middle school," Branch said. "My dad has a great background of training. ... I've been doing cryotherapy, laser therapy since I was in middle school. Keeping on my protein shakes and everything since I was in middle school. When I was younger, I might've been like, 'Ahh! I don't really like it,' but I figured out what works for me and I felt like I had a good system around me and a good platform around me that set me up to be ready for this moment."

The Raiders hold extra sentimental value to him, as the late Cliff Branch is his great uncle.

Cliff, who passed in 2019, played 14 seasons in the Silver and Black. In that span, he won three Super Bowls and still ranks third all-time in receptions (501), receiving yards (8,685) and receiving touchdowns (67) in franchise history.

He was posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022, where Zachariah was in attendance for the enshrinement in Canton, Ohio.

"I had a good relationship with him," he said. "Talked to him about his experiences throughout the NFL, certain things that he learned. He was a great player, three-time Super Bowl champion. I wish they would've inducted him before he passed away, but got a chance to go to the Hall of Fame when they inducted him.

"It was a pretty special moment for me and my family, but he was a great person and a great player as well. So, definitely blessed for everything he taught me throughout that process."

Branch is approaching the opportunity to follow in Cliff's footsteps and use his blazing speed to terrorize NFL defenses. The shifty receiver averaged 20.8 yards per kick return his freshman year in Los Angeles, with both a kick and punt return for a touchdown that season. He received the Jet Award, named in honor of 1972 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny "the Jet" Rodgers, given to the top return specialist in college football.

After an injury-riddled sophomore campaign, he transferred to Georgia where he immediately became WR1. In 2025, he led the SEC in receptions (81) while also leading the Bulldogs in receiving yards (811) and receiving touchdowns (six).

He confirmed he'll participate in all live drills with the receivers on Saturday, but is not short of confidence heading into the NFL Draft.

"I'm different. I'm one of one," he said. "You're not going to find me [anywhere] else. That's one thing I'll definitely say.

"I think I'm physical, being a receiver who plays in the slot primarily, I can play inside and outside. I can run route any single route you want me to run. And when I get the ball, I'm going to make something happen every single play. My mentality is to never let the first person tackle me, so when I do that I'm real upset at myself."

It seems the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Or in this instance, from the branch.