Charges dismissed for former Bulldog – DawgNation

Hey, y’all!
One thing you should know about me, since I’m new to the newsletter: I never miss an opportunity to talk about coffee (also fall weather and the Wordle, but those are conversations for a different day).
With Georgia baseball set to host Mississippi State for super regionals bright and early 11 a.m. Saturday, I thought it could be fun to ask the DawgNation team for their favorite coffee in Athens.
Our partner Jittery Joe’s, with the downtown location hosting Kaylee Mansell’s football pregame show, is a team favorite! But we mention a few other spots as well.
Scroll to the bottom of the newsletter for some of our favorites or recommendations, if you’ll be in Athens and looking for a caffeine boost before the game (or just in general).
In the meantime, let’s dive into some news:
Former Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch, now a member of the Atlanta Falcons, had his misdemeanor charges of obstructing public sidewalks/streets — prowling and obstruction of a law enforcement official dropped.
Branch’s lawyer, Kim Stephens, confirmed that the charges have been dismissed in a statement provided to DawgNation.
“After reviewing all evidence, including videos, and discussing the case with us, the State agreed to dismiss all charges against Mr. Branch yesterday,” Stephens told DawgNation. “Zachariah cooperated fully with law enforcement and did not commit a crime on the night of his arrest and never should have been arrested. We are glad this matter is over and that Mr. Branch’s excellent reputation and good name (is) restored.”
Branch was arrested on April 19 and posted bond the same day. The arrest occurred days before the 2026 NFL draft, which saw Branch land with the Falcons with the No. 79 pick in the draft.
“They know who I am as a person and the character that I hold myself of,” Branch said of the arrest after being drafted. “And I think that that was pretty much self-explanatory, given the report and everything.”
Tre Shields, an under-the-radar Flowery Branch receiver, signed with UGA on Wednesday. He was set to be in Athens early this week to join the Bulldogs.
While word broke over the weekend that he was a late Bulldog signee, the immediacy of that news cycle didn’t allow for the good stuff to get reported.
Not just his gaudy senior stats of 1,038 yards. Nine touchdown catches. Or the other offers he earned off just that one season.
We’re talking about why the Flowery Branch staff describes him as an “athletic freak” en route to Athens.
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound wide receiver has no stars to his name. No rankings. He didn’t even have a prospect page to state that he has no stars or rankings.
“Six-foot-3,” Flowery Branch coach Michael Perry said. “190 (pounds) and 4.50. Now, in saying that, this is not one of those recruiting kids. He does not go to camps. He doesn’t play 7-on-7. This kid is just an athletic freak who the good Lord blessed.”
A keen scouting eye will pick out some special tools for Shields.
“His body control and his hands by far,” Perry said. “We have a joke among us, my brother and I, about how they all talk about 50-50 balls. It is not a 50-50 ball with Tre. It is an 80-20 ball with Tre.”
“The best thing about him as a football player, against our best competition, like Ware County (203 receiving yards), North Oconee (65 yards and a touchdown) and Eastside (153 yards receiving), that kid stood out and had some great games.”
Given the scant experience here, Perry feels Shields is not even close to 40% of his potential.
“He’s got a long way to go and he’s without a doubt the second-best player I’ve ever coached in my career and I’ve coached some really good players in some places,” Perry said. “Just with him playing one year, he’s got to get better at his stems and his releases and refining his intermediate routes and everything.”
The Georgia staff will refine those traits in time.
Georgia’s game this season against Vanderbilt comes sandwiched between two 2025 College Football Playoff participants. Before facing the Commodores, the Bulldogs take on Oklahoma. The week after, Georgia travels to Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
In between, the Bulldogs take on a Vanderbilt team that went 10-2 last season and just missed the College Football Playoff.
Vanderbilt’s accomplishments in 2025 aren’t the reason Georgia fans will have this game circled, though. That would be the presence of freshman quarterback Jared Curtis.
To most of the college football world, Curtis is known as one of the top incoming freshmen. He was the No. 14 ranked newcomer in the sport by ESPN, and the No. 4 overall player in the 247Sports Composite rankings for the 2026 recruiting cycle.
“Curtis arrives at Vanderbilt with the type of expectations rarely seen in the program, giving the Commodores a potential long-term centerpiece at quarterback after the Diego Pavia era,” ESPN’s Billy Tucker wrote. “He steps into a position of major importance as Vanderbilt looks to remain competitive in the SEC moving forward and establish stability at quarterback.”
Georgia partisans know Curtis much differently. He’s viewed as the quarterback who committed to Georgia twice during the recruiting process, only to flip to Vanderbilt the week the early signing period began.
Here are a few of our favorite spots.
First, I reached out to DawgNation reporter Kaylee Mansell to get her Jittery Joe’s order, since that’s her go-to: hot vanilla latte or the peach energy drink with a chocolate muffin.
Caitlyn Stroh-Page, editor: “I have a strong emotional bond to sitting down and having coffee at Walkers, but it’s almost unfair to pick a favorite coffee in town. Jit Joe’s and 1000 Faces are both excellent. I’ve also heard great reviews of Choco Coffee and Sunroof. Maybe this weekend is the time to try them out.”
Farredeh Pippin, partnership account executive: “Jittery Joe’s is the best spot for coffee. Not only is the coffee delicious, the vibes are great and with coffee names like ‘Whoop A–’ and ‘Attack the Day,’ it sounds like the perfect way to start the day on Saturday (and every day for that matter).”
Connor Riley, team reporter: “I am admittedly not much of a coffee guy beyond a plain iced coffee. Fortunately Cafe Racer has much more than just coffee, as their breakfast sandwiches and doughnuts are a great way to kickstart the day. It is a Sunday morning staple for me during football season.”
I saved my personal favorites for last. For me, it’s a tie between Jittery Joe’s (shout out to the Eastside location, which was close to where I lived for most of college) and Walkers. I love a hot latte from Walkers and an iced latte from JJ’s.
I live in Atlanta, but these days end up driving to Athens several times a week for baseball. A lot of times I will find myself stopping at the Jittery in Five Points for a little pick-me-up before I head over to Foley Field.

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