University of Georgia Athletics
Jennings Thrives On Building Relationships
December 27, 2025 | Men's Basketball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Before Monday, Markel Jennings' on-court Georgia men's basketball career was limited to the final 75 seconds of a 2023 exhibition game against Eastern Kentucky. But in the No. 23-ranked Bulldogs' 103-74 win over West Georgia earlier this week, the redshirt sophomore made his collegiate debut, entering the game in the final minute.
Injuries have been a chronic problem for Jennings, but they haven't affected his positive demeanor, his determination to get on the court, or his continued drive to help the Bulldogs any way he can.
A 5-foot-11 guard from Watkinsville, right outside of Athens, Jennings grew up in a house of Bulldogs. His parents, Mark and Delores, are UGA graduates — Mark is also a UGA Foundation trustee — and Jennings' sister, Chynna, graduated from Georgia in 2015. The Jennings family has also given back to UGA and Georgia athletics in many ways, including creating several need-based scholarships to UGA through the Georgia Commitment Scholarship program.
Mark Jennings has been a successful real estate developer in the Athens area for decades and is the founder of Athens Construction Group, which builds houses in the area. His son, who is majoring in both Economics and Housing Management and Policy, plans to join the family business after he graduates from UGA.
"That's always going to be a big part of my life," Jennings said. "Just being able to take over what my father has built, my parents have built, and just learning from them all my life, I'd be stupid to let that go away."
Jennings is also interested in staying involved in sports in some capacity. He doesn't have it all figured out yet — there's plenty of time ahead to do so — but he knows he wants to "try to do both, manage both of those things, and see where that takes me."
Jennings has seen a lot of teammates come and go in the transfer portal era, where rosters can change dramatically from season to season. As a native of the Athens area, a third-year Bulldog, and someone with an engaging personality, Jennings is the ideal teammate for a new player to have. If anyone has a question, he'll either know the answer or know someone who does.
"I feel like people like me who are returners, we're blessed to be here. We can be the beginners of group activities, and we can bring everyone in," Jennings said. "Me and Smurf (Marcus Millender, a transfer from UT-San Antonio), we're almost inseparable. Now that's my brother, and we just met like six months ago.
"I like building relationships like that."
When a player can't contribute to the team on the court very often, they have to make a difference in other ways. For Jennings, whether he's injured or not, he knows why he's out there every day.
"Just positivity. I try to bring a positive attitude every day," he said. "Like I always say, if I'm having a bad day, I don't want anybody else to know. I try to have that same mindset every day, and I feel like Coach (Mike) White is just like that. He's so consistent every single day, and he's a great role model for me.
"I just try to implement that every day with these guys. If they're having a bad day, I'll do my best to help them with theirs. It's just being a communicator, being a leader by my actions, in the weight room and there on the court."
Asked how he's managed the frustrations that come with being sidelined with injuries throughout his career, Jennings had a simple answer.
"Prayer — that's the only answer I have," he said. "Everything that I've been through has actually gotten me more into my Bible, which is the biggest thing for me. If I didn't have that, if I didn't have my family and the support I have, I probably would have gone insane. But there's always light at the end of the tunnel. There's always a tomorrow.
"That's what keeps me going each and every day. I'm blessed to be here, so I try to maintain that mentality."
Staff Writer
Before Monday, Markel Jennings' on-court Georgia men's basketball career was limited to the final 75 seconds of a 2023 exhibition game against Eastern Kentucky. But in the No. 23-ranked Bulldogs' 103-74 win over West Georgia earlier this week, the redshirt sophomore made his collegiate debut, entering the game in the final minute.
Injuries have been a chronic problem for Jennings, but they haven't affected his positive demeanor, his determination to get on the court, or his continued drive to help the Bulldogs any way he can.
A 5-foot-11 guard from Watkinsville, right outside of Athens, Jennings grew up in a house of Bulldogs. His parents, Mark and Delores, are UGA graduates — Mark is also a UGA Foundation trustee — and Jennings' sister, Chynna, graduated from Georgia in 2015. The Jennings family has also given back to UGA and Georgia athletics in many ways, including creating several need-based scholarships to UGA through the Georgia Commitment Scholarship program.
Mark Jennings has been a successful real estate developer in the Athens area for decades and is the founder of Athens Construction Group, which builds houses in the area. His son, who is majoring in both Economics and Housing Management and Policy, plans to join the family business after he graduates from UGA.
"That's always going to be a big part of my life," Jennings said. "Just being able to take over what my father has built, my parents have built, and just learning from them all my life, I'd be stupid to let that go away."
Jennings is also interested in staying involved in sports in some capacity. He doesn't have it all figured out yet — there's plenty of time ahead to do so — but he knows he wants to "try to do both, manage both of those things, and see where that takes me."
Jennings has seen a lot of teammates come and go in the transfer portal era, where rosters can change dramatically from season to season. As a native of the Athens area, a third-year Bulldog, and someone with an engaging personality, Jennings is the ideal teammate for a new player to have. If anyone has a question, he'll either know the answer or know someone who does.
"I feel like people like me who are returners, we're blessed to be here. We can be the beginners of group activities, and we can bring everyone in," Jennings said. "Me and Smurf (Marcus Millender, a transfer from UT-San Antonio), we're almost inseparable. Now that's my brother, and we just met like six months ago.
"I like building relationships like that."
When a player can't contribute to the team on the court very often, they have to make a difference in other ways. For Jennings, whether he's injured or not, he knows why he's out there every day.
"Just positivity. I try to bring a positive attitude every day," he said. "Like I always say, if I'm having a bad day, I don't want anybody else to know. I try to have that same mindset every day, and I feel like Coach (Mike) White is just like that. He's so consistent every single day, and he's a great role model for me.
"I just try to implement that every day with these guys. If they're having a bad day, I'll do my best to help them with theirs. It's just being a communicator, being a leader by my actions, in the weight room and there on the court."
Asked how he's managed the frustrations that come with being sidelined with injuries throughout his career, Jennings had a simple answer.
"Prayer — that's the only answer I have," he said. "Everything that I've been through has actually gotten me more into my Bible, which is the biggest thing for me. If I didn't have that, if I didn't have my family and the support I have, I probably would have gone insane. But there's always light at the end of the tunnel. There's always a tomorrow.
"That's what keeps me going each and every day. I'm blessed to be here, so I try to maintain that mentality."
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.
Players Mentioned
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