Dan Orlovsky: Ryan Williams vs. Malaki Starks battle in Alabama-Georgia game 'as good as we get in the NFL'

Georgia and Alabama‘s matchup this weekend in Tuscaloosa is must-see TV for college football fans. As the two programs in the sport square off in an epic matchup between two top-five-ranked teams in the country.

The brand names and sheer dominance of both programs alone make Saturday’s game in Bryant-Denny Stadium intriguing. But so do the players, with analyst Dan Orlovsky tabbing a key matchup between a wide receiver and defensive back that he’ll definitely have his eye on in this one.

“Number two and number four against each other, it’s going to be a fantastic football game,” Orlovsky said on ESPN Thursday morning. “America, get used to hearing the name Ryan Williams if you haven’t yet. First of all, there’s two freshmen receivers in college football that have chance to be all time college greats. One’s at Alabama, one’s at Ohio State.”

Jeremiah Smith has respectively established himself as an elite wide receiver and standout freshman player with the Buckeyes early in the season. But so has Williams, the youngest player in the sport after reclassifying in high school who has caught 10 passes for 285 yards and four touchdowns through three games. An explosive playmaker who will face the most challenging test of his career this weekend.

“This young man should be in high school right now, he’s 17 years old. The matchup between him and Malaki Starks for Georgia is going to be as good as we get in the NFL,” Orlovsky said. “Malaki Starks, who plays corner for Georgia, probably a top 10 pick in the NFL Draft. Ryan Williams, again, is a superstar at the wide receiver position.”

“Watching those two go at each other this game is going to be awesome.”

In just two seasons with the Bulldogs, Starks has established himself as one of the best defensive backs in the entire country. Named a First-Team All-American last year by eight different publications after recording 52 tackles, breaking up seven tackles, and getting his hands on three interceptions. Seemingly a surefire first-round selection in the upcoming NFL Draft he decides to declare.

There’s no guarantee on how often Starks and Williams will be matched up against one another this Saturday, but it will definitely be a sight to see and a potential peek at what the future will look like on Sundays at the NFL level.