When Georgia kicks off spring practice in March, safety Malaki Starks will go from student to teacher.
Well, in a manner of speaking.
After two seasons as one of the young stars in Georgia’s secondary, recent attrition has left the rising junior the unquestioned leader in the defensive backfield, a role Starks said recently he feels he’s prepared to undertake.
“I think the speed at which I play the game has definitely increased. I’m able to move around a lot faster, to get to Point A and Point B a lot faster, and just fly around,” Starks said recently. “I’ve learned the game of football. Being able to learn from Tykee (Smith), from (Javon) Bullard, and Coach (Glenn) Schumann, guys like that, they’ve helped me learn the game of football and have that confidence.”
Now, he’s ready to pass those lessons on.
“I think he’s a really special player,” Smith said. “I think y’all are going to get to see that for the next couple years. “He’s a really special player.”
Head coach Kirby Smart agrees.
Although Starks is one of the few defensive backs on the Bulldogs who is not expected to cross-train at another position, he certainly could if need be.
"He's probably the one guy that could go out there and play corner if he had to," Smart said. "He's got a coverage skill set and speed skill set that most safeties don't have."
Per Schumann, Georgia’s younger defensive backs could not have a better role mode.
“He’s a really good person, he prepares the right way.
When we talk about maturity level, he’s got a maturity level unto himself as a defensive player and a person from the moment he got here,” Schumann said. “He’s incredibly humble. He’s grateful for his opportunity and constantly approaches each day with the right level of enthusiasm. The reason he’s continually improved is because he doesn’t have an ego. He’s going to do what’s best for the team and his teammates.”
Starks takes any opportunity to learn that he can.
That includes going back and taking a look at the Bulldogs’ loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship, a game Starks said took him a while to get over.
“It was about a week, week and I half because I went back and looked at things I could have done better,” he said. “I’ve only been here two years, but I had not lost since I’ve been here. So, for that to happen, it hit deep. I wanted to go back and learn what I could have done better.”
The loss affected Starks in another way as well.
“It definitely puts things in perspective. Not everything is going to go like you want it to be,” Starks said. “It’s not a perfect world that we live in and not everything is easy.”
