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Malachi Fannin-Render made his next destination official on Thursday, signing to play football at Liberty University.

“This really is a dream come true,” he said. 

The LaGrange High senior will be early enrolling at the school meaning he will graduate this month and get a jump start on college life next semester. Fannin-Render will get a chance to acclimate himself with his new team rather quickly. With the Flames in the Bahamas Bowl, Fannin-Render will get a chance to practice and prepare with the team even though he will not get to play in the bowl game.

“I’m a little nervous, but I know I have to get over it. I know I might be home sick, but I know that this has always been my dream,” he said. 

Fannin-Render was not short on college offers. The running back had offers from Coastal Carolina and Marshall among others, but felt like Liberty was the right fit for him.

“From the moment I first stepped foot on the campus, it really made me feel like I was at home. I saw that they trusted my ability a lot because they offered me before I had even shown my actual skill and just had a breakout season,” he said.

Fannin-Render’s legacy at LaGrange will live on long after he graduates. Anybody who watched him play knew just how special of a player he was as he proved himself to be an all-time Granger.

“His season puts him in the category alongside many of the Granger greats,” LaGrange coach Matt Napier said.”When you start talking about the legends that have come through LaGrange High School, his name will be right there. Malachi was the captain and held a leadership role on the team that helped bring that winning tradition back to LaGrange High.”

The senior year was the best season from the star running back. Fannin-Render finished the season with 212 carries for 2,235 yards rushing and 29 rushing touchdowns as well as 9 receptions for 150 yards and 3 receiving touchdowns . He also completed a pass for a 66-yard touchdown and returned a punt for 88 yards and a touchdown.

The senior captain saved his best performances for the playoffs. His stats from the opening three rounds looks like this: 17 carries, 201 yards, 3 TDs vs. Lumpkin County; 29 carries, 224 yards, 3 TDs, 3 catches, 16 yards, 1 TD vs. Sandy Creek and 7 carries, 264 yards, 3 TDs vs. North Hall. Despite the Jefferson defense keying in on stopping him in the semifinals, Fannin-Render still finished with nearly 100 yards on the ground. 

Fannin-Render had to overcome a lot just to be in a position to sign a scholarship to play in college. The senior suffered a broken collarbone early into his sophomore season and then proceeded to tear his ACL in the offseason between his sophomore and junior years. There was a time when he did not know if he would return to football, but with hard work and determination, Fannin-Render was back on the field for the final three games of his junior season and started every game for the Grangers as a senior.

“I prayed, prayed, prayed, prayed about it. I prayed to God to help me to get back to where I wanted to be. And I pray to God to continue to help me and with God I know everything is possible,” Fannin-Render said. 

The winning culture is back for LaGrange High football and Fannin-Render, along with his fellow seniors was a big part of that. 

“Those are my brothers,” he said. “I was a little late coming around to Gardner Newman Middle School, but we clicked right away and had a lot of chemistry together.

“I wouldn’t want to play with another group of guys. I loved every moment playing with them and I wish it never ended, but things have to end for new things to begin.”

Winning is something the Liberty football program is good at as well. Fannin-Render will be joining a team that went 8-3 in the regular season in 2024 and was 11-1 in 2023, finishing ranked no. 25 in the AP Poll. The Flames have made a bowl game in each of the last six seasons and will play Buffalo in the Bahamas Bowl on Jan. 4. 

Even as he prepares for his next step, Fannin-Render will be a Granger for life.

“I will always bleed blue,” Fannin-Render said. “This school means a lot to me.”