Marquis Fennell doesn’t fit neatly into any one box, and that’s exactly why he’s become such a headache for defenses in Georgia.
The Stanford pledge from Valdosta High is already doing everything for the 2-0 Wildcats. He can beat teams on the ground, work them through the air, and flip field position as a returner. Through two games this season, he’s piled up 150 rushing yards, 233 receiving yards and even added a 56-yard punt return.
That kind of all-purpose production is nothing new for Fennell. Last season, Georgia’s reigning 6A offensive player of the year put together a monster campaign with 1,480 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns, plus 53 catches for 764 yards and 10 more scores.
“I try to do it all, but I'm trying to build on everything I got and make it better,” Fennell said.
Rated as an 87 by 247Sports, the 5-foot-10, 175-pound prospect committed to Stanford over Florida State in a somewhat unexpected summer decision. But he’s not shutting the door on the rest of his recruiting process just yet. Fennell said he still wants to take game-day visits to nearby schools this season.
“I’m a football junky, so I still want to get to these games that are nearby, easy to get to,” Fennell said.
This weekend, he’ll be at Georgia Tech for its matchup with Colorado. Georgia Tech and Colorado were both finalists before he picked Stanford. Fennell also said he’s stayed in contact with Florida State, and the Seminoles are still trying to get him back on campus for a game.
“They're trying a little bit,” Fennell said of FSU's attempts to get him to campus for a game this season, before noting that “things didn't go as planned” for a visit to Tallahassee this past Saturday.
Even with Stanford in the lead, Fennell said what he wants most is to see the Cardinal show progress under first-year coach Tavita Pritchard. He’s looking for more wins, and he wants to get a sense of how he might be used in the offense.
“Definitely get more wins than the previous year and see a few flashes of how they can use me, but not the whole thing because a player like me I feel like there is nobody else,” Fennell said.
For now, that’s the part everyone already seems to know: there really isn’t another player quite like Marquis Fennell.
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Georgia Tech Faces A Huge Recruiting Test During Colorado Weekend
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Elijah Reeves is already committed to Georgia Tech, but the rest of the group brings a more revealing test of how the staff is selling itself to younger targets. Some of these recruits already view Georgia Tech as an early favorite or a key stop, while others have additional visits lined up and plenty of decisions still ahead. Weekend visits like this can matter a lot in recruiting, especially when the school is trying to turn early interest into real momentum, and this one gives the Yellow Jackets a chance to make a strong impression in front of a deep class. [Read more 🡒]