Georgia freshman Malaki Starks' performance unsurprising to Kirby Smart
Georgia freshman Malaki Starks came into college with big expectations. A five-star freshman, the No. 1 safety in the country, On3 Freshman All-American… the list of accolades for the Jefferson, Ga. native goes on and on. And oh by the way, being from right down the road probably has the fanbase with even higher hopes.
Well, in Georgia’s season-opener 49-3 win over No. 11 Oregon on Saturday, Starks played every bit good enough to live up to the expectations, coming down with an athletic interception on top of a team-high eight total tackles.
“Well, he’s been probably our most productive defensive back all camp, which means he get
lots of hands on balls. Batted balls; he knocked down balls; he had picks. He’s a good football player,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said about Starks in his postgame press conference. “We wanted to get him in the game early, and fortunately it was a play where he was one-on-one, and he made a really good play on the ball. He’s an incredible athlete, has good speed. He’s got a lot to learn and I thought he played with great composure today, and he could be a really talented player.”
After Georgia forced a punt on the opening drive of the game and scored on the ensuing offensive possession, Starks kept the momentum going the way of the Bulldogs by picking off Bo Nix. Turning around every which way, Starks ended up going airborne, having his back parallel to the ground before coming down with the ball.
“Malaki Starks, like I’ve been talking about him all fall camp, he’s a great player. I seen him do that a bunch of times, so definitely one of the greatest interceptions I ever seen,” fellow Georgia safety Christopher Smith said about the play of the freshman. “He laid out for that one. I was just excited. I couldn’t believe he made the play. But yeah, I think it’s big for him. I think y’all are going to continue to see great things out of him because he’s coming into the season.”
“Chris talked about Malaki earlier, but I’m going to piggy-back on what he said. He’s an incredible athlete, incredible player, and you’re going to continue to see plays from him,” Dan Jackson added. “That’s a guy that comes in every day and is locked in and wants to help the team win, and it obviously showed today.”
Of course, the first game isn’t going to define the entirety of Starks’ season, but if it’s a sign of what’s to come, the future is bright for the freshman. No. 3 Georgia (1-0) plays FCS opponent Samford next Saturday at home, another opportunity for Starks to shine.
