All American wrap up: Malaki Starks earns spot on five, other Georgia Bulldogs selected as well
For the second straight season, Georgia safety Malaki Starks has earned a spot on all five All-American teams that make up consensus status: Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, Football Writers Association of America, Sporting News and Walter Camp Football Foundation. The junior from Jefferson was included on the Sporting News second team Wednesday to go along with his first-team honors from AFCA and FWAA and second-team selection by Walter Camp and the AP. While not earning quite enough first-team selections to be considered a consensus All-American, as he was in 20H23, it’s still quite the nod of appreciation for what Starks did this season.
Starks, who has started 41 straight games for Georgia, leads the team in tackles as the Bulldogs enter the postseason. His 73 stops in 13 games this year is already more than he had in either of the previous two campaigns – both of which consisted of more games. Making matters even more impressive is that 48 of his tackles have been solo stops, also a team-high, with 4.0 coming for loss. Starks was a finalist for the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award for a second straight season. He’s expected to be the first safety off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft as a top-10 overall prospect according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.
“Malaki can be our best player at five positions, so it’s more a matter of what’s around him and what’s healthy working and what are we going to do defensively,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said about Starks early in the season as he spent time at multiple positions throughout the secondary. “He plays a role at (free) safety, he plays a role at strong safety, he plays a role at STAR. He does a tremendous job. It gives us some depth, but I’d rather not have to be reliant on the depth and rely on the guys that practiced all camp.”
Of course Starks isn’t the only player that’s been big for the Bulldogs this season. Linebacker Jalon Walker, offensive lineman Tate Ratledge, offensive lineman Dylan Fairchild and punter Brett Thorson also earned recognition from at least one of the five publications.
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Walter Camp All-America: Jalon Walker (2nd), Malaki Starks (2nd)
AFCA All-America: Tate Ratledge (1st), Jalon Walker (1st), Malaki Starks (1st)
AP All-America: Dylan Fairchild (2nd), Malaki Starks (2nd), Brett Thorson (2nd), Tate Ratledge (3rd), Jalon Walker (3rd)
FWW: Malaki Starks (1st)
Georgia’s 2024 season isn’t done. Kirby Smart’s squad, champions of the SEC after beating Texas in the conference title game, earned the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoffs and a first round bye as a result. The Bulldogs will take on the winner of Friday night’s Notre Dame-Indiana game in the Allstate Sugar Bowl and CFP quarterfinals January 1st in New Orleans.
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