Dallas Branch Season 2021

Entering 2023 season

HONORS
* 2022 Honorable-Mention All-Mountain West
* Thorpe National Player of the Week
- Nov. 5, 2022 for game vs. UNLV

Impressed the coaching staff in his first year with the Aztecs in 2020, learning behind two-time all-Mountain West pick and 2021 NFL fourth-round draft selection Darren Hall ... Entered the 2021 season as the projected starting field cornerback, but battled a few injuries throughout the season ... Was one of three Aztecs to start exactly five times at cornerback in 2022 and enters the 2023 season as the backup to Dez Malone at field cornerback, utilizing his COVID year.

^SENIOR SEASON (2023)
Has been named a preseason first-team all-Mountain West selection by Lindy’s Sports, and a third-team pick by both Pro Football Focus and Athlon Sports.

SENIOR SEASON (2022)
Was named an honorable-mention all-Mountain West selection by the league’s coaches and media ... Had 34 tackles on the season (26 solo), including five tackles for loss and a sack, three interceptions, a fumble recovery and two pass breakups in 13 games (five starts) ... Played in 418 snaps ... Ranked in a tie for fifth in the Mountain West in interceptions (3, T-43rd in FBS) and tied for ninth in interceptions per game (0.23) ... Had an interception in three straight games from Nov. 5-18, which was tied for the longest in FBS play in 2022. Only two Aztecs since 2007 had a longer streak - Larry Parker in 2011 and Vonnie Holmes in 2007, each with four ... Started for the fifth time of his career against Arizona in the opener on Sept. 3, logging four tackles (one solo) in 50 of the team’s 75 snaps ... Made three solo tackles, including a tackle for loss, in another start vs. Idaho State on Sept. 10, seeing the field for 39 of the 75 snaps ... Started again at No. 14/15 Utah and came up with three tackles (two solo), while adding a pass breakup, in 36?snaps ... Came off the bench for the first time of the season against Toledo on Sept. 24, where he made one solo tackle in 30 snaps ... Did not record a stat in 16 snaps at Boise State on Sept. 30 ... Registered three solo tackles, including a 4-yard tackle for loss, and a pass breakup in just 17 defensive snaps off the bench vs. Hawai’i on Oct. 8 ... Had two solo stops in 19 snaps in a reserve role at Nevada on Oct. 22 ... Registered three tackles (one solo), including 0.5 tackles for loss, in 35 defensive snaps at Fresno State on Oct. 29 ... Was named the Thorpe Player of the Week (national award) and Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week for his play against UNLV on Nov. 5, when he had four tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss, an interception and a fumble recovery ... Ended up setting career highs in tackles for loss and had his first sack, while picking up his first interception and fumble recovery of the season ... He first recovered a fumble in the second quarter after UNLV reached SDSU territory and later picked off a Doug Brumfield pass in the end zone on the second play of the fourth quarter ... Also was chosen as the team’s defensive player of the game ... Had a solo tackle and an interception in 22 defensive snaps off the bench vs. San José State on Nov. 12 ... Had two solo tackles and an interception in 20 snaps off the bench at New Mexico on Nov. 18 ... Recorded an interception for the third straight game, tied for the longest streak in the country in 2022 ... He now has three interceptions this season and five for his career ... 
    It was his second straight game with an interception and fourth pick of his career ... Started vs. Air Force on Nov. 26, making three tackles (two solo) with 0.5 tackles for loss across 50 snaps ... Logged five solo tackles, tying a career high, in a start against Middle Tennessee in the EasyPost Hawai‘i Bowl on Dec. 24 in 51 snaps.

JUNIOR SEASON (2021)
Had 20 tackles (14 solo), including two tackles for loss, two interceptions, a 14-yard fumble recovery, a forced fumble and five pass breakups, in nine games with four starts ... Missed the first four games with an injury suffered in the beginning of fall camp ... Made his season debut in the team’s fifth game of the season against New Mexico on Oct. 9 ... Came up with a career-high five tackles (all solo), including a 6-yard tackle for loss, and a fumble recovery returned for 14 yards ... The tackle for loss and fumble recovery were each the first of his career ... Ended up playing 27 snaps on defense, earning a Pro Football Focus grade of 83.7, the team’s second highest in the game (Michael Shawcroft, 87.1) ... Did not record a stat in 16 snaps off the bench at San José State on Oct. 15 ... Earned his first career start at Air Force and came up with his first career interception on the opening drive ... The pick led to a Matt Araiza field goal ... Also had three tackles and his first career forced fumble ... For his efforts was named one of the defensive players of the game ... Came up with five tackles (four solo) in his second straight against Fresno State on Oct. 30 across 54 snaps ... Came off the bench to play 18 statless snaps at Hawai’i on Nov. 6 ... Did not play against Nevada on Nov. 13 after suffering an injury in warm-ups ... Had an assisted tackle and a pass breakup in 24 snaps off the bench at UNLV on Nov. 19 ... Had a solid game in a start against Boise State on Nov. 26 in 64 snaps, logging a solo tackle (4-yard tackle for loss), an interception and two pass breakups ... It was his second interception of the season (and his career), while the two pass breakups were a career high ... The pick was BS’s last offensive play of the game ... Had three tackles (two solo) with a pass breakup in another start against Utah State in the Mountain West Championship on Dec. 4, playing 73 of the 74 snaps ... Had two assisted tackles in 59 snaps off the bench vs. No. 24/25 UTSA on Dec. 21 in the Tropical Smoothie Frisco Bowl.

SOPHOMORE SEASON (2020)
Played in eight games off the bench ... Had seven tackles (five solo) ... Made his Division I debut against UNLV on Oct. 24, recording three tackles (one solo) off the bench ... Did not record a stat in late snaps at Utah State on Oct. 31, or on special teams against San José State on Nov. 6 and vs. Hawai’i on Nov. 14 ... Also didn’t find the stat sheet in a few defensive snaps at Nevada on Nov. 21 and some special teams work ... Made a pair of solo tackles off the bench at Colorado on Nov. 28 ... Had two solo stops again in reserve time vs. Colorado State on Dec. 5 ... Did not record a stat in time on special teams at No. 14/16 Brigham Young.

AT LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE (2019)
Spent one season at Long Beach City College and will have three years left at San Diego State ... Was first-team all-league selection in his lone season in 2019, leading the Vikings to a 7-3 record and 20-16 win over Southwestern in the 2019 Southern California Bowl ... Had 50 tackles (34 solo), 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, six interceptions, nine pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery ... His six interceptions were tied for the fourth most in the Southern California Football Association and the sixth most in California Community College Athletic Association.

HIGH SCHOOL
Finished his high school career at Salesian High School, the same school as former Aztec and two-time all-MW first-team selection Kyahva Tezino ... Prepped at Redondo Union High School prior to Salesian HS ... Was a two-star recruit by both Rivals and 247sports ... Received a scout grade of 79 by 247sports.

PERSONAL
Dallas William Branch was born Oct. 11, 1999 in Redondo Beach, Calif. ... Son of Ahdmun Branch and Alea Reggans ... Chose San Diego State over Arkansas State, Brigham Young, Hawai’i, UNLV and UTEP ... Is majoring in accounting.

SEASON BESTS
Tackles: 5 vs. Middle Tennessee (12/24/22), vs. Fresno State (10/30/21), vs. New Mexico (10/9/21)
Tackles For Loss: 2.0 vs. UNLV (11/5/22)
Sacks: 1 vs. UNLV (11/5/22)
Interceptions: 1, five times
Pass Breakups: 2 vs. Boise State (11/26/21)
Forced Fumbles: 1 at Air Force (10/23/21)
Fumble Recoveries: 1 vs. UNLV (11/5/22), vs. New Mexico (10/9/21)