The new faces on the USC Trojans’ 2023 roster sure didn’t waste any time waiting to make an impact. One of the true freshmen expected to play a major role was five-star wide receiver Zachariah Branch. He did that and much more with a receiving score and a kickoff returned for a touchdown.

With the game out of reach by the latter stages of the third quarter, Lincoln Riley was able to utilize some freshmen and get a look at some different players. This is a huge plus for this team. The Trojans entered what will eventually become a grueling season in hopes of a Pac-12 title.

Here are the USC freshmen who played against San Jose State, courtesy of Chris Trevino of 247Sports:

RB QUINTEN JOYNER

Quinten Joyner had five carries for 34 yards.

OL ALANI NOA

Alani Noa was one of three freshmen to get a starting assignment.

WR JA'KOBI LANE

The USC WR room is loaded, but Lane saw some playing time and got one catch for five yards.

DL ELIJAH HUGHES

The defense is going to show how good or bad this team will be, but Elijah Hughes got some run and made some impactful plays.

LB TACKETT CURTIS

Tackett Curtis got the start and had a pair of tackles. He looked solid in his debut.

EDGE BRAYLAN SHELBY

Braylan Shelby finished the game with one tackle.

WR MAKAI LEMON

Caleb Williams must be thrilled to have so many weapons. Talented freshman Makai Lemon got playing time and had one catch.

WR DUCE ROBINSON

Duce Robinson wasted no time making an impact. He had three catches for 44 yards.

WR ZACHARIAH BRANCH

Zachariah Branch was EVERYWHERE. He had four catches for 58 yards and a touchdown and added one carry for 12 yards with a spectacular 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. If that wasn’t enough, he returned three punts for a total of 66 yards.

MALACHI NELSON

Nelson got some late-game work in as the No. 3 QB behind Miller Moss and starter Caleb Williams.

SAFETY CHRISTIAN PIERCE

Christian Pierce got into the game, part of a fluid dynamic in the USC secondary.

Story originally appeared on Trojans Wire