Malaki Starks ranked top true freshman by ESPN
Malaki Starks has made an immediate impact since stepping foot on campus. The five-star safety out of nearby Jefferson came into college at the No. 10 overall player according to the On3 Consensus, but through five weeks of his first year of College Football, ESPN sees Starks as the No. 1 true freshman in the country.
On Thursday, Tom VanHaaren and Tom Luginbill released their rankings of the top 25 first-year players across the country. Starks came in atop the list after a strong start to the season with 23 tackles, three pass breakups and two interceptions. Those totals are good for second, first and first on the team respectively.
Starks was the former No. 12 prospect in the ESPN 300 and has played up to that billing so far in 2022. He plays like a veteran on a defense that lost five players in the first round of last year’s NFL draft. He’s mature, and the game is not too big for him. At times he flashes his dominance. As Georgia’s second-leading tackler (23), and with two interceptions, Starks has proven he can play any position in the secondary.
Tom VanHaaren and Tom Luginbill – ESPN
ESPN’s not the only one to notice the impact that Starks has made. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has been asked about Starks several times throughout the season, including this week after he made maybe the biggest play of the game in the Bulldogs’ narrow 26-22 win over Missouri. On a 63-yard run by running back Cody Schrader, Starks chased him down from behind to keep him out of the end zone and bring him down at the 1-yard line. The Tigers would be held to a field goal as a result.
“It’s great to have a young guy because you know you have him to develop him. But it’s a work in progress still,” Smart said about Starks on Tuesday. “There are things that happened with Richard Lecounte, Lewis Cine, and all those guys who have played. I go back to a number of mistakes they have to make before they get it right. Malaki is not really any different. He makes mistakes each and every practice, and he keeps chopping and getting better. He doesn’t let one mistake get him done. I think he’s come to the realization that you are going to make mistakes. Don’t make them twice and learn from them. I’m really proud of his maturation process, and I think he’s going to be a leader for us as he grows in confidence.”
Starks and his No. 2-ranked Georgia Bulldog teammates take on rival Auburn this Saturday in the 127th meeting of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. Kickoff from Sanford Stadium between the Bulldogs and Tigers is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
