Georgia
She let her 6-year-old ride to the park alone. Georgia called it neglect.
With schools closed for Election Day 2025, Mallerie Shirley’s 6-year-old son was riding his electric scooter to and from the local playground—about a third of a mile away—on the bike trail just outside their Atlanta house. On his way home, a woman in a car stopped him and, according to the boy, asked rapid-fire questions in an elevated voice: What’s your name? How old are you? Where do you live?
Shirley is a software engineer and mom of two—but she also holds a master’s in social work and was a caseworker for four years in Minnesota. She and her husband, Christopher, believe in childhood independence and had prepared their son for such an encounter. He did not tell the lady his name, age, or where he lived. He later told his parents he was afraid she would try to pull him into the car, so he sped home, but he believes she followed him.
Two days later, a caseworker from the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) showed up at their house. Shirley wasn’t home, but the caseworker told her husband that a report had been made that their son was seen on his scooter unsupervised. She informed him that she would be going to both their son’s and their 3-year-old daughter’s schools to interview and photograph the children.
Shirley’s husband asked if there was a problem with letting their son go to the playground by himself. The caseworker said he was too young to go alone until he was “about 13.” When asked if that was the law, she said, “They will consider that inadequate supervision,” adding that “he is extremely vulnerable at that age.…Anything could happen.” Shirley’s husband again asked the caseworker what the law said, and she replied that she would follow up with her supervisor, who eventually answered that DFCS policy is that a child cannot be left unattended for any amount of time until they are 9 years old.
In 2025, Georgia passed Senate Bill 110 (with help from my nonprofit, Let Grow), which revised the definition of neglect as putting a child in “real, significant, and imminent risk of harm that would be so obvious…that a legal custodian acting reasonably would not have exposed the child to the imminent risk of harm.” It further specifies that “independent activity…shall include, but shall not be limited to, playing indoors or outdoors alone or with other children, walking to or from school, running errands, or traveling to local commercial or recreational facilities.”
The law received bipartisan support following the case of Brittany Patterson, who was handcuffed in front of her family after her 10-year-old walked to town without telling her.
“Because of SB110 we felt confident that [DFCS] would not find us to be negligent,” Shirley wrote in Let Grow’s Facebook Group, Raising Independent Kids. “We knew, and made clear to the social worker, that we ensured our six-year-old had the maturity, physical abilities, AND mental abilities to be safe,” wrote Shirley.
A few hours later, the caseworker returned. (Shirley would later learn that the caseworker had asked her son if his parents loved him and if they had drugs in the house.) During this visit, Shirley and her husband cited the law and asked how they were neglecting their child. According to Shirley, the caseworker couldn’t give a single example, but she did produce extremely unlikely hypothetical events, including that the boy could have been kidnapped or broken his leg.
The caseworker was not applying the new law’s standards, says Let Grow’s legal consultant Diane Redleaf. “DFCS has not taken sufficient steps to inform its staff” of what the new law allows kids to do—including traveling alone to playgrounds.
On December 16, the caseworker called to say she was trying to close out the case and asked if Shirley and her husband were “still doing that free-range parenting or whatever they call it?” Shirley responded that her son had become too afraid to go out anymore after being reported.
A few weeks later, a letter arrived from DFCS saying the department had “substantiated” the finding of neglect “based on the preponderance of evidence.” Shirley requested to see their file and asked how to appeal the decision. She was told by the caseworker’s supervisor that much of the case file would be blacked out. When Shirley asked for the specific policy that says children under 9 cannot be unsupervised for any amount of time, the supervisor said, “That’s something you can Google.”
Young kids have been riding around their neighborhoods for eons. That this has become less common is not due to a sudden reversal in evolution or a giant spike in crime. Kids are the same as ever, and today’s murder rate is on track to be the lowest in 65 years. What has changed is the ability to see 6-year-olds as reasonably competent young humans.
The 1981 book, Your Six-Year-Old: Loving and Defiant, provided a checklist of milestones for neurotypical kids, including traveling “alone in the neighborhood (four to eight blocks) to store, school, playground, or to a friend’s home”.
David DeLugas, founder and executive director of ParentsUSA, a nonprofit that provides pro bono legal help to parents in situations like this, has taken on Shirley’s case. He has filed a request for an administrative review to contest the ruling, and ParentsUSA has created a donation page to help cover legal expenses for this and similar cases.
In the meantime, Shirley and her husband are living under a DFCS “Safety Plan,” which they were told they had to sign or DFCS would escalate its response and label them as noncompliant parents. The plan states that they must ensure both children are supervised at all times.
DFCS has an important job to do: Save children who are truly being neglected and abused. When she was a caseworker, Shirley said she saw “unthinkable things.”
A kid riding his scooter to the park was not one of them.
Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch, who projects as a Day 2 draft pick, may have just damaged his draft stock with an arrest on misdemeanor obstruction charges.
Athens Clarke County police arrested Branch Sunday morning for obstructing public sidewalks/streets-prowling and obstruction of a law enforcement officer, according to the Athens Banner Herald.
Branch was booked into the Clarke County Jail at 1:26 a.m. Sunday and released at 3:44 a.m.
Branch was considered the No. 1 wide receiver recruit in the country coming out of high school. He started his college football career at USC in 2023 and played two seasons for the Trojans before transferring to Georgia last year.
As a freshman Branch was a first-team All-American punt returner and last year he led the SEC with 81 catches. His 4.35-second 40-yard dash at the Combine bolstered his draft stock. Now Branch will have to hope his arrest doesn’t tank his draft stock.
ATHENS, Ga — Behold, in all the usual glory, the Georgia football team: elite of the elite, two-time defending SEC champion, expected to contend for a national title. And behold the attention on this same team: not much, to the point of being overlooked, including by many of its fans.
Georgia held its spring game Saturday, and official attendance was 31,012, the lowest-attended spring game of Kirby Smart’s tenure, other than the pandemic-restricted game five years ago. The two upper sections of Sanford Stadium, full a decade ago for Smart’s first G-Day, were empty Saturday.
Part of it was outside factors: The hot weather. The devaluing of spring games throughout college football. Other things to do in Athens, including the annual Twilight bike race. Maybe the middle school Science Olympiad state competition on campus drew some away.
But part of it is the state of things for this Georgia team: No drama. No quarterback competition. No new coordinators. No worries about the program slipping. The drama, it’s assumed, won’t come until December and will revolve around whether this team can break a three-year drought of at least reaching the national semifinals.
But right now? Eh.
“I don’t like drama, so that’s a good thing,” quarterback Gunner Stockton said, smiling.
The best comparison for the current Georgia program might be from another sport but the same state: the Bobby Cox-era Atlanta Braves.
It was just a given that the Braves would be good, and they normally would be, with 11 straight division titles at one point. There would be offseasons when rivals would make more noise, and then spring training would roll around, and Cox would tell reporters (like me): “I like this team.” And sure enough, the Braves would go win the NL East by 10 games.
Then they’d flame out in the postseason, which, to be fair, was a crapshoot, as the expanded College Football Playoff is developing into, to Georgia’s chagrin. But no program has been to the CFP as many times (four) as Georgia in the past five years. And this year’s team is easily preseason top 10.
This can make for a boring spring. The most interesting thing to happen was probably Stockton’s passing being called “dog doo” by former NFL receiver Steve Smith, and Smart shooting back, “Do your homework.” Even that was mild enough that neither was asked about it Saturday, at least specific to Smith. The subject of Stockton airing it out hangs over this team. But it’s a relatively minor issue within a team that seems to have plenty else going for it.
Georgia’s defense, which has been hit or miss the past couple of years, should be back to being very good. There’s the usual array of talent but now also plenty of experience. It won’t be as great as the 2021 version — none will be in this era — but it can be dominant.
Georgia’s offense should at minimum be efficient: Stockton enters his second full season as the starter, has two game-changing tailbacks in Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens, an experienced offensive line and some good pieces at receiver and tight end.
The questions that would take this team from good to great …
Explosive passing
There are two issues here:
1. Georgia lost six of its top seven players in receiving yards and didn’t add a star transfer like it did last year with Zachariah Branch, who set the school record with 81 catches.
2. Stockton was inconsistent throwing downfield. He was fantastic at Tennessee and in the first Ole Miss game. He seemed afraid to air it out in other games, though, including the second Ole Miss game.
Returning starter Gunner Stockton said he’s working to improve his pocket presence and footwork. (Dale Zanine / Imagn Images)
On the receiver front, Georgia did add Isiah Canion from Georgia Tech to be an outside, possession-type receiver. Otherwise, Georgia spent its money retaining young receivers — sophomores Talyn Taylor, CJ Wiley, Sacovie White-Helton and Thomas Blackshear — and hoping they pop this year.
Between them, senior receiver London Humphreys and tight ends Lawson Luckie, Elyiss Williams and Jaden Reddell, there might not be a Branch or Brock Bowers, but there are plenty of options.
“They’ve got to grow up,” Smart said. “We’ve got guys that can make plays if given the opportunity. Gunner can get the ball to them.”
Stockton showed he could do that last year — but not every week. He needs to not be tentative or over-reliant on his scrambling ability. To that end, Stockton said he’s working on his pocket presence and footwork. But he also cautioned it’s not just about slinging it downfield all the time.
“Every explosive play isn’t a 50-yard bomb downfield; it’s just getting the ball to your playmakers,” he said. “And I think we’ve got the playmakers to do that.”
It is a deep group. But unless one emerges as a clear No. 1, the way Branch and Bowers were, it will be on Stockton to find the right ones on the right plays. That might make it hard to be explosive every week, even though Stockton said that’s the goal.
“It’s hard to do that,” he said. “But it’s what we’re here for.”
Pass rush
Does everyone remember Trinidad Chambliss scrambling free and hitting game-changing plays in the Sugar Bowl? That wasn’t a one-off. Georgia had the fewest sacks — 20 — in the SEC last year. Sacks might not be the best measure of a pass rush, but that number is still bad and reflected the defense’s weakness.
Will that turn around? One positive is that Gabe Harris Jr. is healthy; Harris was coming on last year as a factor before being hurt in December and could have helped keep Chambliss in check. But spring brought some bad news with an ACL injury to edge rusher Amaris Williams, an Auburn transfer who had a chance to get major snaps. Still, there are options, such as junior Que Johnson, and the secondary could be good enough to buy time for the pass rush.
Smart seems optimistic.
“Pass rush is something that’s done as a group, not just one person,” he said, mentioning linebacker Chris Cole stepping up and defensive linemen doing better at getting a push. “That’s something you always want to get better at, but I’m very pleased at where we are.”
Smart didn’t exactly invoke Cox’s “I like this team.” But he essentially said it. Normally fairly critical, he said there was only one practice this spring, out of 12, that he didn’t like. Otherwise, he loved the team’s approach.
“They enjoy it; they compete,” Smart said.
Left tackle Earnest Greene III is one of the few remaining pieces from the national championship teams. He was a true freshman in 2022. Though not exactly comparing it to that team, Greene sees something about this 2026 version.
“The competitive nature of this team seems a little bit different,” Greene said. “It goes back to the first (spring) scrimmage. Usually, the first scrimmage is more one-sided; the next time, the other side shows up. This year, both scrimmages have been going neck-and-neck at each other. So I can just tell from that we have a real competitive squad.”
So the vibe of this team, Greene was asked, is no drama, but in a good way?
“Yeah, definitely,” Greene said. “You try to have your team be like that every year.”
So far, this Georgia team is pulling it off. But there’s a long way until September.
And then December.
ATHENS — Georgia will hold its annual spring game on Saturday, April 18. Below you can find live updates, the score and rosters for the 2026 G-Day game.
Georgia will have the red team, featuring the first team offense and second team defense, taking on the black team, which will be the first team offense and second team defense.
Georgia football live updates, highlights, roster for 2026 G-Day game
Seventh Drive Black- Red 17, Black 7
Hezekiah Millender completes a short pass to Jeremy Bell for 2 yards. Millender goes back to Bell for a gain of 10 yards. Then, Jae Lamar rushes to the left for 4 yards. Millender is sacked by Khamari Brooks for a loss of 7 yards. On 3rd & 13, Millender passes to Brayden Fogle for 32 yards. Jae Lamar picks up 5 yards on the ground. Team Black picks up the first down on a 7 yard reception by Will Taylor. Then, Bo Walker carries for a 2 yard gain. On the 10 yard line, Jae Lamar picks up 9 yards to put his team on the 1 yard line. Millender keeps for a TD.
Third Quarter
Sixth Drive Black- Red 17, Black 0
Hezekiah Millender completes a short pass to Bo Walker for 4 yards. Then Millender completes another pass to Ethan Barbour for 20 yards. After back to back it to back incomplete passes, Harran Zuriekat in brought in to kick a 48 yard FG which he narrowly misses.
Sixth Drive Red- Red 17, Black 0
Gunner Stockton completes a short pass to Craig Dandridge complete for 8 yards. Stockton attempts to get it to Dandridge again but it is incomplete. Josh Horton receives an offsides penalty which gives team Red the first down. Back to back incomplete passes by Gunner Stockton ends the drive for the Red Team.
Fifth Drive Black- Red 17, Black O
Todd Robinson picks off Ryan Montgomery’s pass intended for Ethan Barbour
Fifth Drive Red- Red 17, Black O
10 Plays 65 Yards, 5:10
The drive begins with a Ryan Puglisi incomplete pass intended for Elyiss Williams and the next play sees another incomplete pass intended for CJ Wiley. Team red picks up the first down thanks to Puglisi’s 32 yards pass to Talyn Taylor. Dwight Phillips Jr see back to back carries for a totaly gain of 3 yards. On 3rd & 7, Chauncey Bowens rushes to the left for 10 yards. On the 20 yard line, Puglisi completes a short pass to Elyiss Williams for 2 yards. Then Ryan Pugli’s pass to Jaden Reddell is good for 16 yards and a first down to put Team Red at the 4. Dwight Phillips Jr rushes up the middle for 3 yards. On 2nd & 1, Dwight Phillips Jr finds the endzone.
Fourth Drive Black- Red 10, Black 0
Ryan Montgomery’s pass intended for Ethan Barbour is incomplete. Dante Dowdell rushes to the left for a gain of 27 yards. Montgomery’s pass to Jeremy Bell is complete for 4 yards. On 2nd & 6, Bo Walker carries up the middle for a gain of 4 yards followed by another Walker carry for no gain. The drive ends after an incomplete pass intended for Talyn Taylor.
Fourth Drive Red- Red 10, Black 0
Chauncey Bowens rushes up the middle for a gain of 4 yards. Ryan Puglisi scrambles to pick up 1 yard. On 3rd & 5, Puglisi’s passed is tipped by Justin Greene.
Third Drive Black- Red 10, Black 0
On the first play, Jeremy Bell rushes for 35 yards but Lincoln Keyes draws a holding penalty. Then, Bell rushes again but there is no gain. On 3rd down, Montgomery’s pass intended for Ethan Barbour is incomplete.
Third Drive Red- Red 10, Black 0
8 Plays, 67 Yards, 4:32
Gunner Stockton’s pas intended for Craig Dandridge is incomplete. Chauncey Bowens breaks loose for an 18 yard rush. After an imcomplete pass intended for Talyn Taylor, Stockton completes a pass to Dwight Phillips Jr for 19 yards. Bowens takes a tackle for loss that brings the Red team back to the 32. Jaden Reddell gets involved with a 23 yard carry. On 1st & 9, Chauncey Bowens rushes up the middle for a gain of 2 yards. The Red Team scores on a 7 yard reception by Jaden Reddell.
2nd Quarter
Second Drive Black- Red 3, Black 0
Ryan Montgomery completes a pass to Kaiden Prothro for 2 yards followed by another pass to Prothro for 7 yards. On 3rd & 1, Bo Walker fumbles.
Second Drive Red- Red 3, Black 0
8 Plays, 67 Yards, 4:40
Stockton completes a pass to Isiah Canion followed by Dwight Phillips Jr carries for a 2 yard gain. Dwight Phillips Jr breaks loose for an explosive run of 15 yards. Then, Stockton completes a pass to Craig Dandridge for 33 yards. On the 16 yard line, Chauncey Bowens picks up 4 yards. Bowens gets the ball on the next play but there is no gain. On 3rd down, Stockton keeps but is short of the 4th down so Peyton Woodring is brought in to kick a 26 yard field goal which he makes.
First Drive Black- Black 0, Red 0
The first play sees an incomplete pass by Ryan Puglisi, intended for Ethan Barbour. Then, Nnmadi Ogboko gets the sack against Puglisi for a loss of 4 yards. On 3rd down Puglisi completes a pass to Jeremy Bell but it is short of the first down.
First Drive Red- Red 0, Black 0
The first play for the red team sees Nate Frazier rush for 5 yards. Then, Gunner Stockton pass to Chauncey Bowens is complete for yards. After an incomplete pass intended for Isiah Canion, Dwight Phillips Jr rushes for 7 yards. On 3rd down, Gunner Stockton keeps but is short of the first down.
1st Quarter
12:45 p.m. ET update: Couple of Bulldogs look like they won’t play today. As Georgia compeltes pregame warmups, wide receiver Sacovie White-Helton, linebacker Raylen Wilson and cornerback Demello Jones were not seen going through warmups. Cornerback Gentry Williams is in a white non-contact jersey, as is linebacker Zayden Walker. Both were dealing with shoulder injuries coming into today.
On the offensive line, Zykie Helton was working as the first-string right guard, with Juan Gaston at right tackle. Jah Jackson is also expected to play with the first-team offensive tackle.
11:30 p.m. ET: Georgia has released the rosters for the 2026 G-Day game. You can see them below.
RED TEAM
0 — Sacovie White-Helton
1 — Talyn Taylor
3 — Nate Frazier
4 — CJ Wiley
5 — Chauncey Bowens
6 — Isiah Canion
7 — Lawson Luckie
8 — Landon Roldan
10 — Zayden Walker
10 — Elyiss Williams
11 — Darren Ikinnagbon
12 — Ja’Marley Riddle
12 — Ryan Puglisi
13 — AJ Kruah
13 — Tyler J. Williams
14 — Gunner Stockton
15 — Khamari Brooks
15 — Ryan Montgomery
16 — London Humphreys
18 — Caden Harris
20 — Dwight Phillips Jr.
22 — Todd Robinson
23 — Tyriq Green
23 — Jaden Reddell
27 — Balke Stewart
28 — Walter Blanchard
28 — Jordan Smith
29 — Isaiah Gibson
32 — Jaylan Morgan
33 — PJ Dean
35 — Elijah Littlejohn
36 — Daniel Okonkwo
38 — AJ Lonon
39 — Will Snellings
41 — Carter Luckie
42 — Nick Abrams II
45 — Terrence Penick
48 — Duncan Carpenter
50 — Cortez Smith
52 — Valdin Sone
55 — Zykie Helton
55 — London Seymour
63 — Dontrell Glover
64 — Jahzare Jackson
71 — Earnest Greene
73 — Juan Gaston
74 — Drew Bobo
82 — Craig Dandridge
82 — Colton Heinrich
91 — Peyton Woodring
92 — Preston Carey
94 — Henry Bates
95 — Nnamdi Ogboko
96 — JJ Hanne
97 — Wade Register
BLACK TEAM
0 — Gabe Harris
1 — Ellis Robinson IV
2 — Thomas Blackshear
2 — Zion Branch
3 — Quintavius Johnson
4 — KJ Bolden
5 — Raylen Wilson
7 — Khalil Barnes
8 — Demello Jones
9 — Ethan Barbour
9 — Chris Cole
11 — Jeremy Bell
16 — Maurice Hayes
17 — Golter Ginn
17 — Amaris Williams
18 — Bryson Beaver
19 — Hezekiah Millender
19 — Justin Williams
20 — Zech Fort
22 — Donte Dowdell
24 — Braylon Conley
24 — Bo Walker
25 — Jake Bobo
25 — Jontae Gilbert
26 — Micah Bell
26 — Gentry Williams
27 — Rasean Dinkins
27 — Jae Lamar
30 — Terrell Foster
31 — Kyron Jones
31 — Wade Penn
36 — Jackson St. Clair
37 — Ben McElreath
41 — David Lalaian
44 — Jordan Hall
45 — Eli Barrow
46 — Danny Curan
47 — Will Taylor
51 — Malachi Toliver
52 — Michael Uini
53 — Zach Lewis
54 — Waltclaire Flynn
60 — Henry Peagler
65 — Dennis Uzochukwu
66 — Tyreek Jemison
67 — Clinton Barlow
69 — Graham Houston
70 — Daniel Calhoun
72 — Ekene Ogboko
75 — Mason Short
76 — Marcus Harrison
78 — Tate Helms
79 — TyQuez Richardson
80 — Kaiden Prothro
81 — Josh Horton
83 — Brady Holbert
84 — Dallas Dickerson
85 — Chase Linton
85 — Ryan Mosley
87 — Lincoln Keyes
88 — Brayden Fogle
88 — Nasir Johnson
90 — Elijah Griffin
90 — Drew Miller
91 — Justin Greene
94 — Xzavier McLeod
98 — Connor Ferguson
99 — Joseph Jonah-Ajonye
99 — Harran Zuriekat
Georgia will be without a few key players on Saturday, as outside linebacker Amaris Williams and cornerback Ellis Robinson are not expected to play due to injury.
Georgia spring game: How to watch 2026 G-Day online
This game will not be streamed over traditional cable. You can still watch the game if you have a cable subscription to ESPN. Visit the WatchESPN tab on ESPN’s homepage and find the game on either ESPN+ or SECNetwork+. Click here to watch the game.
Below is a video walking through how to watch the game.
Georgia spring game game time for 2026 G-Day
The Georgia spring game starts at 1 p.m. ET.
Georgia spring game TV Network for 2026 G-Day
The Georgia spring game will be broadcast on SECNetwork+/ESPN+.
Georgia spring game radio options for 2026 G-Day
The G-Day scrimmage can be heard loclally on WNGC 106.1, 95.5 WSB and WXKT 103.7. G-Day will also be distributed to all network affiliates and the game will be available on the Georgia Bulldogs app.
Georgia spring game rosters for 2026 G-Day
*These have not been released by UGA yet. This section will be updated as soon as the rosters are available.
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