Georgia safety Malaki Starks forgoes senior season for NFL Draft
After three years and 42 starts in a Georgia uniform, Malaki Starks is going pro. The junior defensive back announced Monday via Instagram that he is forgoing his senior season and entering the NFL Draft where he is touted by most as a first-round pick.
Starks released a statement where he took the time to thank his teammates and coaches at Georgia. He also thanked his family and support system before announcing his intentions.
“To the men who wore the red and black before me, thank you for setting the standard of what the G should look like,” Starks statement said. “I hope in my 3 years I’ve made you proud. To my family, thank you your unconditional love and support. I would not be here today without y’all. To the best fans in the nation, thank you for creating a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I will always be grateful. With that being said, I am grateful and excited for the next chapter in my life. I am officially declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft.”
Starks, who grew up roughly 30 minutes from the Georgia campus in Jefferson, took over as a starter in the second game of his College Football career and never looked back. He racked up six interceptions in 43 career games to go with 197 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 23 pass breakups.
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In some ways it’s hard to figure out which season was Starks best. He was outstanding as a freshman, picking off a couple of passes and playing safety alongside Chris Smith as Georgia went 15-0 and won a National Championship.
His second season was also strong as he had career highs in interceptions and pass breakups. Starks’ third season saw him play both safety and STAR/nickel where he set a career high in tackles for loss and was more active near the line of scrimmage.
At the end of the 2024 season, Starks was a unanimous All American and All-SEC performer. Coming out of high school, he was a five-star prospect and two-sport athlete who chose UGA over Clemson.
