Tag: Malaki Starks

Georgia could have greatest DB recruiting class ever…and it might not be done yet

This class of defensive backs is just sick…

Georgia currently has the nation’s No. 1 ranked recruiting class for the 2022 cycle after the commitment of 5-star cornerback Daylen Everette on Tuesday.

Everette becomes the sixth defensive back to commit to UGA in this class, and the third 5-star defensive back.

With the start of the early signing period set to begin on Wednesday, the Dawgs are in great position to reel in the greatest recruiting class of defensive backs that college football has ever seen.

Here’s who Georgia has committed in the secondary, plus one more who very well may announce his commitment to Georgia on Wednesday.

USA TODAY High School Sports recruiting rankings Power 5 spotlight: SEC

See the top 10 high school football recruits committed to SEC schools.

As recruiting for the high school football class of 2022 ramps up, more and more NCAA schools are seeing who may be its superstars of the future. And with the early signing period nearing and national singing day on the horizon, the intrigue and conversations will expectedly increase.

So to keep updated on the latest, we’re taking a look at the top recruits in each of the Power 5 conferences, according to the USA TODAY High School Sports Composite Player Rankings, which averages the grades from the three biggest recruiting services: 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals. 

First up is the SEC, a conference absolutely loaded with talent from the class, boasting 10 five-star prospects and 73 four-star players as of Nov. 3.

Here’s a look at the top-10 ranked players…

(Note: The recruit’s measurements and position are courtesy of 247Sports.)

247Sports updates player rankings: Biggest risers among UGA commits

Georgia commits see their rankings rise in 247Sports’ updated player rankings

On Wednesday, 247Sports updated its 2022 player rankings.

Georgia, which has the nation’s No. 2 ranked class with 20 commitments, saw some of its commits rise in the new rankings.

We took a look at five of Georgia’s biggest risers in the new rankings below.

Twitter reacts: 5-star Malaki Starks commits to Georgia

Twitter reacts as Georgia football picks up a commitment from 5-star ATH Malaki Starks.

On Thursday night, Twitter erupted after news broke that 5-star athlete Malaki Starks has committed to play football at the University of Georgia.

Starks, a 5-star athlete in the class of 2022, made his decision live on Fox5 Atlanta at the Jefferson Civic Center. It came down to Georgia, Alabama and Clemson – and the Dawgs came out on top.

Starks hails from Jefferson, Georgia and stands at 6-foot-1 and weighs in at 200 pounds. 247Sports has Starks as the nation’s No. 13 overall player.

Here are the best Twitter reactions to the news:

https://twitter.com/Hayesfawcett3/status/1375221075567640577?s=20

 

Georgia gains commitment from 2022 5-star athlete

Georgia football picked up a commitment from 2022 5-star ATH Malaki Starks on Thursday evening.

Georgia fans were in need of some good news after hearing that superstar wide receiver George Pickens would miss the 2021 college football season with a torn ACL.

And good news is exactly what the DawgNation got on Thursday night when 5-star athlete Malaki Starks announced his commitment to Georgia.

Starks, a 5-star athlete in the class of 2022, made his decision live on Fox5 Atlanta at the Jefferson Civic Center. It came down to Georgia, Alabama and Clemson – and the Dawgs came out on top.

Starks hails from Jefferson, Georgia and stands at 6-foot-1 and weighs in at 200 pounds. 247Sports has Starks as the nation’s No. 13 overall player.

“I felt like I would succeed the most there,” Starks said, via OnlineAthens. “I feel like I would get developed the most and I would have the best time and do what I love doing in an environment that I love doing it in.”

Starks joins UGA as the Bulldogs ninth commitment. Georgia currently has the nation’s No. 2 ranked class for 2022.

Five-star ATH Malaki Starks is nearing a decision

Five-star 2022 athlete Malaki Starks is set to pick between Alabama, Clemson and Georgia on Thursday.

Five-star athlete Malaki Starks’ recruitment has been littered with college football’s elite programs. Now, the Georgia native is closing to calling one home.

Starks is set to announce his commitment Thursday with Alabama, Clemson and Georgia as his finalists, according to 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong. Starks has also received offers from Auburn, Florida State, Georgia Tech, LSU, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, USC and Virginia Tech.

The 2022 prospect is fresh off a junior season in which he dominated on both sides of the ball for Jefferson (Ga.) High School, rushing for 1,537 yards and 24 touchdowns to go along with 11 touchdowns through the air at quarterback. He also starred as a defensive back, making 41 tackles and two interceptions.

“In probably 16, 17 years as a head coach and upwards of the high 20s as a coach, I’ve never seen a combination of a player at that level with that ability who’s still one of the three or four best kids I’ve been fortunate to coach,” Jefferson head coach Gene Cathcart said. “We all give the halo effect to our great players but he’s unquestionably one of the best kids I’ve ever been around whether he’s a great player or not. He’s genuine, he’s charismatic, he leads in a very unselfish way.”

RELATED: Mater Dei freshman QB Elijah Brown tosses three touchdown passes in HS debut

Starks currently ranks as the No. 2 athlete and No. 13 overall recruit in the class of 2022. His scouting report reads:

Owns a sturdy, well-built frame for a rising junior. Has added some mass over the course of the past year and should tip the scales in excess of 200 pounds by the end of his junior year. Has one of the more well-rounded athletic profiles we’ve seen in the 2022 cycle early on as a multi-event standout in track and basketball along with football. Has strong top-end speed with a 11.06 time in the 100 meters as a freshman. Plays all over the field for Jefferson and scored touchdowns in a number of ways as a sophomore. Shows some dynamic playmaking ability and athleticism on offense, lining up at receiver and in the backfield. Works as a safety on defense and displays both range and physicality in operating within the secondary. While he is a true “athlete” at this point, he may best project at linebacker longterm given his athleticism, size and versatile skill set. Looks like one of the top underclassmen in Georgia at this point. Projects as a multi-year starter at the Power Five level with the upside to develop into an early round NFL Draft pick.

Top-10 2022 GA HS recruits: No. 2, Malaki Starks

The top-10 class of 2022 GA high school recruits in the country move to No. 2 with ATH Malaki Starks, out of Jefferson, GA.

The No. 2 overall 2022 high school player from the state of Georgia, according to 247Sports, is 5-star athlete Malaki Starks.

Starks is also rated as the No. 3 overall athlete in the country for the 2022 recruiting class. The Jefferson, GA native will be entering his junior year at Jefferson High School.

Starks currently has notable offers from USC, Tennessee, Notre Dame, LSU, Florida, Clemson, Auburn, Alabama and Georgia, just to name a few.

Starks stands at 6-foot-1, 196 pounds.  During his sophomore season he played a number of different positions including running back, wide receiver, quarterback and cornerback.

Starks rushed for a total of 544 yards for 5 touchdowns in 2019, averaging 10.3 yards per carry.  He caught 8 balls for 157 yards and 2 touchdowns.  On top of that, Starks had 27 total tackles (21 solo), 3 pass deflections, 5 interceptions and one fumble recovery.

He was primarily a running back for Jefferson High School, but it wouldn’t be wise to not play him at multiple positions.  He played on both sides of the ball and has been attracting the attention of some of the nation’s top coaches for his athleticism and football instincts.

Check out Starks’ full high school sophomore year highlights here.