Tag: Malaki Starks

Malaki Starks given high marks in preseason defensive back rankings

Malaki Starks is limited for spring practice, but should have a big fall

Coming off of consensus All-American recognition in 2023, expectations could not be higher for Georgia safety Malaki Starks headed into 2024. As Starks prepares for his third and potentially final season in the red and black, multiple outlets have ranked him near or at the top of their defensive back rankings looking ahead to the 2024 season.

In ESPN’s ranking of the top returning defensive backs for the upcoming season, Starks was ranked first, trailed by Colorado’s Travis Hunter. He tied for the highest number of points based on the voting from the participating ESPN reporters, and received the top spot based on having more first place votes than Hunter.

Pro Football Focus also released their list of top graded safeties based on last season, with Starks being ranked second to Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. PFF described Starks as “an elite athlete who’s a standout run defender and tackler for the position while also consistently making plays in coverage.”

Starks is limited this spring after undergoing shoulder surgery.

Two Georgia Bulldogs make USA TODAY Sports All-America team

Pair of Georgia Bulldogs make the USA TODAY Sports college football All-America team

Two Georgia Bulldogs have made the USA TODAY Sports college football All-America team for the 2023 season. Georgia star safety Malaki Starks and tight end Brock Bowers both made the first-team All-America team.

Starks came up with a clutch interception to seal Georgia’s road win at Auburn. The sophomore safety is a top reason why the Georgia defense rarely yielded big plays throughout the 2023 college football season. Starks is expected to return for another season with the Bulldogs.

Starks intercepted two passes, recorded 51 tackles, and has seven pass deflections entering the Orange Bowl against Florida State.

Georgia junior tight end Brock Bowers fought through an ankle injury during the second half of the season. The star tight end suffered a high ankle sprain in the Vanderbilt game. Bowers came up clutch as well against Auburn.

Bowers, who is arguably the best college tight end of all time, is likely heading to the 2024 NFL draft, but he is yet to announce his draft decision. Bowers bravely battled through the pain in the SEC championship game against Alabama.

Bowers has 56 receptions for 714 yards and seven total touchdowns this season. His status for the Orange Bowl is currently unclear.

Georgia DB Malaki Starks named Jim Thorpe Award finalist

Georgia football DB Malaki Starks named Jim Thorpe Award finalist

Georgia Bulldogs safety Malaki Starks is one of three finalists for the 2023 Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s top defensive back.

Other finalists include Iowa’s Cooper DeJean and Air Force’s Trey Taylor.

Starks has totaled 43 tackles, six pass breakups and two interceptions this year as one of the leaders of a stout Georgia secondary. Georgia’s defense is preparing to face Jalen Milroe and Alabama in the SEC championship game.

Starks earned Freshman All-American honors last season after racking up 68 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, seven pass breakups and two interceptions.

The former five-star prospect and Jefferson, Georgia, native has yet to miss a single game in a Bulldogs uniform. He would become UGA’s second Jim Thorpe Award winner after Deandre Baker in 2018.

The winner will be announced on Dec. 8 during The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.

Georgia DB Malaki Starks talks ‘Hate Week’ ahead of Georgia Tech 

Georgia DB Malaki Starks talks ‘Hate Week’ ahead of Georgia Tech 

The Georgia-Georgia Tech rivalry may not be as competitive lately as it used to be, but the Bulldogs aren’t treating Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate lightly by any means. 

Georgia’s staff has instilled intensity in practice this week leading up to the 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff (ABC) in Bobby Dodd Stadium. Bulldogs safety Malaki Starks described “Hate Week” preparation to the media on Tuesday. 

“It’s intense,” Starks said. “It’s Hate Week. Everything kind of goes up a little more … Georgia Tech week around here, there’s nothing playful about it.”

The undefeated Bulldogs have four on-field assistant coaches on staff that played in the rivalry as UGA players themselves: head coach Kirby Smart, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, wide receivers coach Brian McClendon and co-defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. 

“Coach Smart gave us a history lesson earlier this week … Just a history lesson about Georgia and Georgia Tech and how long it goes,” Starks said. 

On the flip side, Georgia Tech has its fair share of players and coaches familiar with the rivalry. Head coach Brent Key is a former Yellow Jacket and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner served as an assistant under Smart in Athens. 

Former Georgia wide receiver Dominick Blaylock and tight end Brett Seither will suit up for the first time against their former team after transferring in the offseason. 

The Bulldogs have controlled the series easily as of late, winning five-straight by a combined total score of 217-49. That said, the Yellow Jackets, who have two ranked wins on the season (Miami, UNC), would like nothing more than to throw a wrench in Georgia’s season before next week’s matchup with No. 8 Alabama in the SEC championship game. 

 

Georgia DB Malaki Starks named Jim Thorpe Award Semifinalist

Georgia DB Malaki Starks named Jim Thorpe Award Semifinalist

Georgia safety Malaki Starks has been named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award given to the nation’s top defensive back.

The sophomore is third on the team with 29 tackles and has two interceptions on the season. University of Georgia Athletics released a statement on Tuesday.

“Georgia sophomore safety Malaki Starks has been named one of 15 semifinalists for the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award given to the nation’s top defensive back, according to an announcement from the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame Tuesday.”

Starks has followed up his Freshman All-American season with another impressive campaign in 2023. Georgia currently sits seventh nationally in scoring defense (14.8 points per game) and eight in yards allowed per game (272.1 yards per game).

Former Georgia cornerback Dandre Baker won the 2018 Thorpe Award and safety Christopher Smith, a Las Vegas Raider, was a semifinalist last season.

Starks and the Bulldogs return home this week to take on No. 14 Missouri (7-1, 3-1 SEC) for Homecoming in Athens. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET, televised on CBS.

 

Georgia football DB named as top returning sophomore safety

Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Malaki Starks has been named as the top returning sophomore at safety

Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Malaki Starks has been named as the top returning sophomore at the safety position. Georgia is coming off winning back-to-back national championships. Starks played a big role as a true freshman in Georgia’s 2022 national championship-winning season.

Starks made a critical tackle against Missouri in Georgia’s close win over the Tigers. The former five-star recruit is expected to start at safety alongside Javon Bullard for the 2023 college football season.

Bleacher Report notes that Malaki Starks was excellent against the pass and the run as a true freshman.

Starks was also excellent at defending the run on the Dawgs’ top-ranked rush defense. He had a 72.1 run-defense grade per PFF, which ranked third among Power Five true freshman safeties.

Starks did misjudge a pass play against Florida, but overall his freshman season was outstanding. Starks has incredible athleticism and came out of the gates strong against the Oregon Ducks in Atlanta.

Georgia defensive back Malaki Starks helped set the tone for the 2022 college football season with an acrobatic inception against Oregon. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Malaki Starks finished his true freshman campaign with 69 total tackles, two interceptions, and seven pass deflections.

Starks will have to adapt to life without Christopher Smith as a sophomore, so he will have to be more of a leader in 2023 as Georgia looks to win a third consecutive national championship.

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Georgia’s Malaki Starks ranked among top returning safeties

Just a rising sophomore, Starks ranked at the top…

Georgia safety Malaki Starks earned freshman All-American honors in the Bulldogs’ 2022 national title season after finishing third on the team in tackles (69), first in pass breakups (7) and second in interceptions (2).

The former five-star recruit’s ability to contribute right away on one of the most talented defenses in college football was evident from the jump in the Bulldogs’ season opening win over Oregon.

Pro Football Focus recently named Starks the No. 3 returning safety for the 2023 season.

The Bulldogs are in good hands with Starks’ return, but questions remain at safety following the departure of All-American safety Christopher Smith to the NFL draft.

Rising seniors Dan Jackson and Tykee Smith return with multiple starts under their belts, and Georgia brought in former Texas A&M safety Smoke Boujie via the transfer portal this offseason.

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Ranking the best true freshman from the 2022 season

Which true freshmen made their mark on the 2022 season and where is Harold Perkins Jr on the list?

In today’s college football, we are seeing more and more young players make immediate impacts on their teams.

From running backs to linebackers to tight ends, there is no shortage of young rising stars at the collegiate level. It was no different in Baton Rouge when [autotag]Harold Perkins Jr[/autotag] opted to sign with LSU over Florida and Texas A&M.

The SEC had plenty of talented freshmen taking the field for teams that were competing for the SEC title. After four months of college football action, I compiled a list of the 10 best true freshmen to take the field in 2022. Some names you may recognize with at least one that doesn’t get the headlines of the rest of the list.

We kick it off with a running back out of the state of Alabama.

Know your foe, Georgia: Which Bulldogs could give Ohio State problems in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl

These dogs have bite #GoBucks

As we inch closer to game time, we need to look a bit more into who is going to be on the opposite sidelines from our Ohio State Buckeyes. The Georgia Bulldogs have been fantastic over the last two seasons, dropping just one game while winning last year’s College Football Playoff.

The [autotag]SEC[/autotag] only sent one team to this year’s CFP but as the one seed. There are tons of playmakers for UGA and a lot of credit goes to quarterback [autotag]Stetson Bennett[/autotag], tight end [autotag]Brock Bowers[/autotag], and defensive tackle [autotag]Jalen Carter[/autotag]. We won’t touch on those players because as we all know about them. Here are five other Bulldogs that could give [autotag]Ohio State[/autotag] problems on New Year’s Eve in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Saturday night.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on Twitter.

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Three Georgia Bulldogs earn SEC player of the week honors

Three Georgia Bulldogs have earned SEC player of the week honors for their outstanding performances against Tennessee.

Three Georgia Bulldogs have earned SEC player of the week honors for their performances against the Tennessee Volunteers.

Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett was named co-offensive player of the week with LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels. Bennett scored three touchdowns and threw for 257 passing yards in Georgia’s 27-13 win over No. 1 Tennessee (CFP ranking).

Georgia freshman standout Malaki Starks continues to impress. Starks was named the conference’s co-freshman of the week with LSU’s hero against Alabama, Mason Taylor.

Starks recorded 10 tackles against Tennessee. He was frequently forced to make one-on-one tackles and dominated in man coverage. Starks may be the top freshman in the country. He is constantly around the football.

Lastly, Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter was named the SEC’s defensive lineman of the week. Carter frequently pressured Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker from the interior. Carter finished with a sack and two forced fumbles.

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