University of Georgia Athletics
Photo by: Tony Walsh/UGAAA
Quick Chat: Markel Jennings
December 28, 2023 | Men's Basketball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Markel Jennings knew where he wanted to go to college. A 5-foot-11 freshman guard on the Georgia men's basketball team, Jennings, from Watkinsville, just outside Athens, wanted to play for the team he'd always cheered for.
Jennings' parents and sister are all Georgia graduates, and his father, Mark, a real estate developer in Athens, is a UGA Foundation trustee. Jennings, an Athens Academy graduate, also played on an AAU team coached by former All-SEC Bulldog Carlos Strong.
During a recent Quick Chat, Jennings talked about being in school close to home, grandmom's cooking, Biological Engineering, and more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: What has your first semester of college been like for you? Was it about what you expected?
Jennings: Yes, sir, it was about what I expected and a little bit more in terms of basketball. It took a little slow start to get used to it, but with the coaches' help and all of our academic help that we're extremely blessed to have, they've got us started on the right track.
Frierson: What has it been like to be in college so close to home?
Jennings: It's a dream come true, for real. It's a dream come true. My parents both went to this school, my sister went to this school, so I feel like they would disown me [laughs] if I went to any other school.
It's been a great experience. Georgia's not an easy school when it comes to academics, so it's been pretty challenging. I really like it here, really love it, and it's great being here in my hometown, for sure. It's comfortable, and it's like a family atmosphere — I've known it my whole life.
Frierson: Do you feel like you're off at college?
Jennings: I do, but I do go home from time to time. Born and raised in Watkinsville, so I'm 15 minutes from home, 20 minutes at most, so it kind of feels like I'm away.
Frierson: Do you ever go home with a bag of laundry over your shoulder?
Jennings: Yes [laughs], yes, every single week. I've done all of my laundry at home [laughs]. Every week or two weeks, I take it back home to my grandmom who lives with us. She loves seeing me, so that's what I do that for [laughs].
Frierson: I saw that you're planning on majoring in Biological Engineering. What inspired you choose that?
Jennings: I took a biology class in high school. I had a teacher that got me really interested in science, so I took an AP biology class and a couple of other AP classes around that, and it just sprung my interest in engineering and science.
I've always found that it not necessarily came easy to me, but it was something that I had an interest in. Math was a no-go — there is some math in all of this, but it's a good, healthy balance. It was really the science aspect of it. My dad's a builder, developer, contractor, so that side of the engineering has always been in my life. That also sparked an interest in this, as well.
Frierson: Do you have something you'd like to do professionally one day?
Jennings: I would love to take on my dad's business, but I don't know if he would like that too much [laughs]. I don't know what I would do if I was him [laughs]. Outside of science and stuff like that, I've also always had an interest in being a GM, a general manager for an NFL or NBA team. I've always found sports interesting, and having this background, especially with the basketball team and everything, that could really help.
Frierson: With that in mind, do you watch Coach (Mike) White and his staff and study how they run the program?
Jennings: Yes, yes. Coach White is a great example to watch. I've never seen this, so calm-mannered, so calm-natured, and I just love the guy. From Day 1, when I met him, to when he surprised me at school with the opportunity to come here, he's just been a great guy. The entire coaching staff, they're all very personable, and it's really like a family here. And I'm not just saying that — it really does feel like that.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Jennings: Ooh, my grandma's cooking, and it's nothing specific. It's just her cooking. I could never get tired of it. If I had to pick out a dish of hers. that's tough. It would probably be her fried chicken. Her fried chicken is just the best thing to eat.
Frierson: Does your going home with your laundry ever coincide with getting to eat some of her delicious fried chicken?
Jennings: Yes, sir, it definitely does. She'd never let me leave the house without eating something. That's definitely an added perk.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
Markel Jennings knew where he wanted to go to college. A 5-foot-11 freshman guard on the Georgia men's basketball team, Jennings, from Watkinsville, just outside Athens, wanted to play for the team he'd always cheered for.
Jennings' parents and sister are all Georgia graduates, and his father, Mark, a real estate developer in Athens, is a UGA Foundation trustee. Jennings, an Athens Academy graduate, also played on an AAU team coached by former All-SEC Bulldog Carlos Strong.
During a recent Quick Chat, Jennings talked about being in school close to home, grandmom's cooking, Biological Engineering, and more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: What has your first semester of college been like for you? Was it about what you expected?
Jennings: Yes, sir, it was about what I expected and a little bit more in terms of basketball. It took a little slow start to get used to it, but with the coaches' help and all of our academic help that we're extremely blessed to have, they've got us started on the right track.
Frierson: What has it been like to be in college so close to home?
Jennings: It's a dream come true, for real. It's a dream come true. My parents both went to this school, my sister went to this school, so I feel like they would disown me [laughs] if I went to any other school.
It's been a great experience. Georgia's not an easy school when it comes to academics, so it's been pretty challenging. I really like it here, really love it, and it's great being here in my hometown, for sure. It's comfortable, and it's like a family atmosphere — I've known it my whole life.
Frierson: Do you feel like you're off at college?
Jennings: I do, but I do go home from time to time. Born and raised in Watkinsville, so I'm 15 minutes from home, 20 minutes at most, so it kind of feels like I'm away.
Frierson: Do you ever go home with a bag of laundry over your shoulder?
Jennings: Yes [laughs], yes, every single week. I've done all of my laundry at home [laughs]. Every week or two weeks, I take it back home to my grandmom who lives with us. She loves seeing me, so that's what I do that for [laughs].
Frierson: I saw that you're planning on majoring in Biological Engineering. What inspired you choose that?
Jennings: I took a biology class in high school. I had a teacher that got me really interested in science, so I took an AP biology class and a couple of other AP classes around that, and it just sprung my interest in engineering and science.
I've always found that it not necessarily came easy to me, but it was something that I had an interest in. Math was a no-go — there is some math in all of this, but it's a good, healthy balance. It was really the science aspect of it. My dad's a builder, developer, contractor, so that side of the engineering has always been in my life. That also sparked an interest in this, as well.
Frierson: Do you have something you'd like to do professionally one day?
Jennings: I would love to take on my dad's business, but I don't know if he would like that too much [laughs]. I don't know what I would do if I was him [laughs]. Outside of science and stuff like that, I've also always had an interest in being a GM, a general manager for an NFL or NBA team. I've always found sports interesting, and having this background, especially with the basketball team and everything, that could really help.
Frierson: With that in mind, do you watch Coach (Mike) White and his staff and study how they run the program?
Jennings: Yes, yes. Coach White is a great example to watch. I've never seen this, so calm-mannered, so calm-natured, and I just love the guy. From Day 1, when I met him, to when he surprised me at school with the opportunity to come here, he's just been a great guy. The entire coaching staff, they're all very personable, and it's really like a family here. And I'm not just saying that — it really does feel like that.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Jennings: Ooh, my grandma's cooking, and it's nothing specific. It's just her cooking. I could never get tired of it. If I had to pick out a dish of hers. that's tough. It would probably be her fried chicken. Her fried chicken is just the best thing to eat.
Frierson: Does your going home with your laundry ever coincide with getting to eat some of her delicious fried chicken?
Jennings: Yes, sir, it definitely does. She'd never let me leave the house without eating something. That's definitely an added perk.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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