Malaki Starks looking to take game to next level in sophomore season

ATHENS, Ga. — This time last year, Georgia safety Malaki Starks had yet to take a single snap at the collegiate level. After a strong freshman campaign, Starks is now finding his name on All-American teams before his sophomore season, a sign of both his potential and the development in his game.

Starks was no stranger to the field last year. He was in early and often as Kirby Smart, Glenn Schumann and Will Muschamp found ways to use the five-star’s ability to help their defense.

In the opener against Oregon, he made a statement with a highlight reel interception. Starks moved into the starting lineup in Week Two, came down with another interception in Week Three and never looked back. He would finish third on the team in tackles with 68 and first among all Bulldog defenders with seven pass breakups.

“He came in and he was talented, and we needed him,” Smart said. “If we had had two returning starters and he couldn’t beat one of them out, then he wouldn’t have been in that position. He would’ve had to struggle through what some of our other players struggle through, but he didn’t get that.”

There were moments though where the freshman looked like, well, a freshman. Smart sometimes calls their midseason struggles ‘the freshman wall,’ and Starks admitted he hit it. Still in the starting lineup, his mistakes were on display for everybody to see.

“It was tough. It’s a lot longer and a lot more demanding, a higher speed, more physical,” Starks said, talking about the college season compared to high school. “When I hit mine, I don’t even remember where I hit it at, but it was more about just trying to go back to my roots and remember what got me here.”

“I tried to stay grounded, keep working and keep grinding every day trying to get better at something,” he continued. “That really helped me push through. The guys here honestly, the chemistry and connection we have in the locker room really helped me keep pushing.”

For Starks, guys like Christopher Smith and Javon Bullard were big for him last season, being able to rely on them for help when he needed it. Starks said he was nervous to speak up at times, something that’s important as a safety and the last line of defense, and Smith pushed him to do so. With him off to the NFL, Bullard moves back to take his spot and will play beside Starks this season, instilling confidence for Starks that they can keep up the strong play in the secondary in 2023.

“I’m very confident. We’re very well connected. Not just on a football level but also on a personal level. It’s really like a brotherhood,” Starks said. “The guys that were here, we had a chance to do it last year … We click very well, I’m very confident. You have vets like Tykee Smith, Javon Bullard, Kamari Lassiter, those guys and what they can bring to the table and what you can learn from them on a day to day basis. Knowing they love to compete. I’m a competitor, so knowing the guys beside me, he’s going to compete with me, it’s awesome.”

Starks is still developing too, only now he’s got a year’s worth of experience to fall back on. This offseason, his focus was more on the mental side of the game. Just as he tried to do as a freshman, finding something he could get better at every day, the continued improvement was an emphasis for him headed into his sophomore season.

“Last year, I kinda just knew my job and what I was doing, coming in as a freshman, trying to learn and get on the field. I’ve really tried to dive in because I want to know not only what I’m doing but what the guy beside me is doing and why he’s doing it because that’ll help me play better,” Starks said. “If I know what he’s doing and why he’s doing it, I can know and trust that he’s going to be where he’s supposed to be at, and if he’s not, I have the ability to speak up and correct him and he has the same ability to do it with me. I’ve been meeting with Schumann and Muschamp, legends really, just trying to dive in and soak up their knowledge because they have so much. It’s crazy how much you can learn if you just try to soak it in.”

“Being here with Coach Schumann, Coach Muschamp and Coach Smart, you have no choice but to learn football. So, I would say just understanding the game of football better,” he continued on his areas of development. “I focused on every aspect I could work on – footwork, recognizing defenses and offenses, trying to communicate better. Really just everything because you can always improve on anything and everything, so I have been trying to take every aspect of my game and bump it up.”

Smart sees that development playing out on a daily basis too. He wants to see Starks take everything to another level, not only on the field but off of it as a leader on the team.

“The next stages are more leadership, more vocal, which is not natural for him. He’s a quiet, intelligent, very consistent kid. I think it’s important for a guy like himself that never had to go through the struggle of fighting to earn things,” Smart said.

“The struggle for him is, ‘How do I consistently work to get better and not be happy with where I am?’ He’s not wired that way,” he continued. “He’s a hard worker, he’s very conscientious, he comes from a great home, and I don’t think that will happen, but we as coaches owe it to him to make sure he gets better each and every day.”