Malaki Starks
Starks with the Georgia Bulldogs in 2023 | |||||||||
| No. 24 – Baltimore Ravens | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Safety | ||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | November 13, 2003 | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 203 lb (92 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Jefferson (GA) | ||||||||
| College | Georgia (2022–2024) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 2025: 1st round, 27th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2025 | |||||||||
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William Malaki Starks (born November 13, 2003) is an American professional football safety for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, winning a national championship in 2022. Starks was selected by the Ravens with the 27th pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.
Early life
Starks grew up in Jefferson, Georgia, where he attended Jefferson High School.[1] A five star recruit, he was ranked by ESPN as the No. 12 recruit in college football's class of 2022.[2] In October 2021, he committed to play college football for the Georgia Bulldogs.[3][4][5]
College career
As a true freshman, Starks emerged as Georgia's starting free safety, leading the defense in total snaps played, and finished second on the team in tackles as Georgia won the national championship.[6][7] As a sophomore in 2023, he was named a consensus All-American.[8]
On January 6, 2025, Starks declared for the 2025 NFL draft.[9]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 0+7⁄8 in (1.85 m) |
197 lb (89 kg) |
31+5⁄8 in (0.80 m) |
9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) |
6 ft 6+3⁄8 in (1.99 m) |
4.50 s | 1.51 s | 2.62 s | 4.45 s | 7.26 s | 33.0 in (0.84 m) | ||
| All values from NFL Combine[10][11] | ||||||||||||
Starks was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round with 27th overall pick of the 2025 NFL draft.[12]
Career statistics
NFL
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | PD | FF | Fmb | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 2025 | BAL | 17 | 15 | 84 | 49 | 35 | 0.0 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 17 | 15 | 84 | 49 | 35 | 0.0 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
College
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| CFP national champion | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Georgia Bulldogs | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | GP | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||
| Solo | Ast | Cmb | TFL | Sck | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FR | FF | TD | ||
| 2022 | 15 | 44 | 24 | 68 | 2 | 0.0 | 3 | 42 | 21.0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 14 | 31 | 21 | 52 | 0 | 0.0 | 3 | 47 | 15.7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 14 | 52 | 25 | 77 | 4 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 43 | 127 | 70 | 197 | 6 | 0.0 | 6 | 89 | 14.8 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Personal life
Starks is friends with Clemson linebacker Sammy Brown, the two played at Jefferson High School together, and played against each other in the Aflac Kickoff Game in 2024.[13][14]
References
- ^ Emerson, Seth (August 28, 2024). "The gift and the glory: Malaki Starks' journey to stardom with Georgia football". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
- ^ "2022 ESPN 300". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- ^ Goodin, Hannah (October 16, 2021). "Recruiting spotlight: Jefferson's Malaki Starks". Georgia Public Broadcasting. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ Boyce, Hunter (December 15, 2021). "Georgia Bulldogs ink five-star prospect Malaki Starks". 11Alive.com. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "Malaki Starks Signs Letter of Intent". Georgia Bulldogs on SI. SI.com. December 15, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2025.
- ^ Austin, Brooks (October 17, 2022). "Georgia Breakout Players From First Half of the Season on Defense". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
- ^ James, John (January 5, 2023). "Freshman Malaki Starks becomes playmaker for Georgia defense". The Red & Black. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ Inabinett, Mark (December 16, 2023). "SEC Football by the Numbers: 2023 Consensus All-Americans". AL.com. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ Weiszer, Marc (January 6, 2025). "Georgia football S Malaki Starks reveals his NFL draft decision". Online Athens. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
- ^ Reuter, Chad; Zierlein, Lance. "Malaki Starks Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
- ^ "Malaki Starks College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
- ^ Mink, Ryan (April 24, 2025). "Ravens Select Malaki Starks in the First Round". BaltimoreRavens.com. Retrieved June 11, 2025.
- ^ Tidwell, Sara (September 4, 2024). "Former Jefferson football teammates reunite on opposing sidelines at Aflac Kickoff Game". Online Athens. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
- ^ Weiszer, Marc (August 27, 2024). "Former Jefferson teammates Malaki Starks, Sammy Brown on opposite sides for Georgia-Clemson". Online Athens. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
- ^ Sriya, Bhwya (April 24, 2025). "Is Malaki Starks Christian? Everything to Know About the NFL DB's Ethnicity and Religion". EssentiallySports. Retrieved June 19, 2025.