Alan Branch attended Cibola High School in Rio Rancho, New Mexico where he played football and basketball. Alan was a first team all-district and second team all-state basketball player, averaging 17.5 points per game as a junior. As a sophomore he earned first team all-district and second team all-metro honors on the football team. As a junior he totaled 65 tackles and 4 fumble recoveries on defense, while catching 13 passes for 242 yards and 4 touchdowns on offense. He was named the team’s MVP and earned all-district and all-state honors. As a senior, Alan finished with 72 tackles, 2 ½ sacks and 1 fumble recovery on defense. On offense he rushed for 342 yards and 3 touchdowns on 45 carries while catching 15 passes for 251 yards and 2 more scores. He was named all-district for the third consecutive season and team MVP and all-state for the second consecutive season. He finished his career with over 200 tackles, 6 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, and an interception. He also had 5 punt returns for touchdowns in his career. He was named the New Mexico Gatorade Player of the Year and was selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American game. He accepted a scholarship to the University of Michigan where he saw action at both defensive end and defensive tackle as a true freshman. He played in all 12 games that season finishing with 5 tackles and 2 sacks on the year. Alan started the final 10 games of his sophomore season, finishing with career highs in tackles (31) and sacks (5). His 5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks against Nebraska in the Alamo Bowl were both Michigan bowl game records. He also forced a fumble and received the Richard Katcher award for being the team’s best defensive lineman. As a junior, Branch started all 11 games at defensive tackle, totaling 25 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, and an interception. He was named first team all-Big Ten for his play as a junior. Alan still has another year of eligibility remaining; however, he has opted to skip his senior season to enter the 2007 NFL draft.

Alan Branch is a versatile player who has started at both defensive end and defensive tackle for Michigan over the past couple seasons. During that time he has proven to be a very durable player who hasn’t missed a game in his career due to injury. He has a tremendous combination of size and strength for a defensive tackle. He’s a 2 gap defensive tackle who can fill running lanes and collapse the pocket. He’s an excellent run stopper and a solid wrap-up tackler who can also get after the quarterback. He often takes on double-teams, freeing his teammates up to make plays. He’s a very good athlete for a player his size giving him the ability to play end or tackle in a 3-4 or tackle in a 4-3 defensive scheme. Alan lacks a great motor and will take plays off at times. Conditioning could be a problem for him as he tends to be less effective later on in his games. He has a difficult time getting off blocks at times and will need to improve his technique as he tends to rely on pure size and strength to overpower his opponents. Alan Branch is a versatile player who can play just about anywhere along the defensive line. He is still a bit raw, but he has a tremendous amount of upside. He has a chance to be the first defensive tackle selected and could go as high as the top 10 in the 2007 NFL draft.