Before Zachariah Branch became a Falcons draft pick, he was already the kind of player people stopped scrolling for.
The Atlanta rookie wide receiver made waves years ago at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, when a clip showed him hitting 26 MPH on an overspeed treadmill. The video followed him into his USC days from 2023 until 2024, and it kept circulating after he transferred to the Georgia Bulldogs in 2025.
Branch cleared up one detail on the St. Brown Podcast, hosted by Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and his brother, Equanimeous: the viral workout happened earlier than many thought.
“Actually, it was 2022, not 2023. I was still in high school,” Branch said. “That’s when I was on track heavy.”
He said he was running track and field at Bishop Gorman at the time, and that he had clocked a 10.3 in the 100-meter dash when the treadmill video was filmed.
“Basically, it allows your body to get up to that over speed to fill it,” Branch explained. “So, I did hit 26.”
An overspeed treadmill is designed to push athletes beyond their normal sprint pace, often into the 20-30+ MPH range, with a harness helping keep the runner safe and taking stress off the joints.
Branch said his speed has kept showing up in training, too. During NFL Combine prep, he reached 24.5 MPH on the treadmill, and at organized team activities he got up to 22 MPH at the Falcons’ training facility.
That burst showed up again at the NFL Combine this April, where scouts timed him at 4.35 in the 40-yard dash.
“I hit the goal, but I was trying to go 4.2 or faster,” Branch said. “I was a little upset, but 4.35 [is] not bad.”
At 5-foot-9 and 177 pounds, the Falcons’ third-round pick brings another quick, slippery option to an offense that already features Drake London and Kyle Pitts Sr., with Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus also added in the mix.
Atlanta has also used Branch as a return man during offseason work, a role he handled well at both USC and Georgia.
The rookie class reports to Flowery Branch for training camp on July 24, with veterans following on July 28. Practice starts July 29, and the first open session is set for July 31.
The Falcons open preseason play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Aug. 14 against the Denver Broncos, then begin the regular season at the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 13.
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