By: Ron Reagin

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Local restaurant and hangout, Big Nick’s was recently packed as friends, family, teammates, and coaches filled every seat and it was standing room only.

Valdosta High running backs Deron Foster and Marquis Fennell announced their college decisions in front of Valdosta’s faithful fans.

Foster, the every-down back, will head west to Oregon State. Fennell, the explosive playmaker, utility back, will take his talents to Stanford.

Before they head west, they will try to top last year’s performance for the Wildcats.  The duo accounted for 64% of all touchdowns last season and 57% of total yards as juniors with both averaging over 100 yards per game in what was a tremendous offense top to bottom.

Deron Foster chose the Beavers over offers from Stanford, Liberty, and Georgia State. The decision came down to the opportunity to play for associate head coach and running backs coach Lee Marks, who has a strong track record developing backs, and new head coach JaMarcus Shephard’s vision.

Foster rushed for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, adding 148 receiving yards and two more scores. He posted nine 100-yard rushing games and sees himself stepping in early in Corvallis.

Marquis Fennell had a long list of suitors, including Colorado, Florida State, and Georgia Tech, but chose Stanford for the combination of football opportunity and elite academics. His mother, Leslie, played a big role in emphasizing the long-term value of the education.

Fennell had a monster junior season with 2,505 all-purpose yards, including 1,480 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground, plus 764 receiving yards and 10 scores through the air.

He expects to be a versatile running back who can impact games from the backfield or out wide to present multiple problems for opposing defense.

Both backs rushed for over 1,000 yards. The last time the Wildcats had 2 rushers over 1,000 yards, was back in 1988 with Isaac Cesar and James Roberts.

Head coach Shelton Felton praised both as great players and even better young men and leaders.

“You’ve got Live at 5 (Foster), you’ve got Category 4 (Fennell),” Felton said. “They are really great kids on and off the field… I’m blessed to have those two as part of my program.”

Both players expressed relief at getting their commitments done early, though Foster admitted he’s not quite ready to move on from the Friday night lights. “There’s nothing like high school ball,” he said.

With unfinished business after falling just short of a state title, both are motivated for a bigger senior season in 2026.

“We all know we have unfinished business,” Fennell said.

This commitment night caps a special chapter for Valdosta’s backfield while setting the stage for what should be another strong year for the running back duo and the Wildcats.