Malaki Starks named finalist for national Freshman of the Year
Georgia freshman defensive back Malaki Starks was named a finalist for the fifth annual Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award on Thursday. The first-year safety out of Jefferson, Ga. is joined by LSU’s Harold Perkins, Ole Miss’ Quinshon Judkins, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and Penn State’s Abdul Carter as a finalist.
Starks is tied for the team-high with 59 tackles on the season, starting the last 11 for the Bulldogs. He has a team-high seven pass breakups and in addition is tied for the team lead with two interceptions. Starks led the team in tackling in Georgia’s three games against Oregon, Tennessee and Mississippi State, all three of whom are ranked in the most recent College Football Playoff rankings. Overall, Georgia’s defensive unit is leading the nation in scoring defense allowing 11.3 points per game.
If he were to bring home the award, Starks would be the second straight Bulldog to do so. Georgia tight end Brock Bowers won it last year after leading the team in all receiving categories as a true freshman while Azeez Ojulari was a finalist for the award as a redshirt freshman in 2019.
The winner of the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award will be unveiled Dec. 29. The formal presentations of this award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by the Mohegan Sun Resort in Pennsylvania in March 2023.
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Starks and Georgia take on LSU this Saturday in Atlanta for the SEC Championship. Kickoff time from Mercedes-Benz Stadium is set for 4:00 p.m. ET on CBS. The Tigers are coming off of a loss at Texas A&M this past Saturday while the Bulldogs look to leave no doubt about their College Football Playoff hopes with a win in Atlanta.
It’s the fifth meeting between the Bulldogs and Tigers with the conference title on the line. LSU holds a 3-1 advantage in the previous four matchups including a dominant 37-10 win in 2019 on their way to an undefeated season and a National Championship Game victory.
Awards Season Rundown
- Stetson Bennett – Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist
- Stetson Bennett – Burlsworth Trophy finalist
- Stetson Bennett – Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award finalist
- Stetson Bennett – Walter Camp Player of the Year semifinalist
- Brock Bowers – Maxwell Award semifinalist
- Brock Bowers – John Mackey Award finalist
- Brock Bowers – Walter Camp Player of the Year semifinalist
- Jalen Carter – Lott IMPACT Trophy semifinalist
- Jalen Carter – Outland Trophy semifinalist
- Jamon Dumas-Johnson – Butkus Award finalist
- Kearis Jackson – Wuerffel Torphy semifinalist
- Jack Podlesny – Lou Groza Award semifinalist
- Christopher Smith – Paycom Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist
- Christopher Smith – Bednarik Award semifinalist
- Christopher Smith – Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalist
- Darnell Washington – John Mackey Award semifinalist
- Georgia Offensive Line – Joe Moore Award semifinalist
- Todd Monken – Broyles Award finalist
