Georgia Bulldogs College Football Pregame Quote, 12/30/2024

Q. Hard to believe, junior. You got unfinished business when you go back and look at your career starting as a freshman. What do you see out of you and KJ Bolden, following all your footsteps, what’s it been like working with a young player like that?

MALAKI STARKS: Yeah, I think when you go back and look at it, kind of having the same year. You play early and contribute to a team that’s really good and a really good defense. And I think my knowledge of what I went through and the ability to lead because of the guys that were there before me that I followed, it allowed me to do the same thing with him and show him the way and help him do some things that I’ve experienced firsthand.

Q. What do you think he does? When you see him, what does he do well?

MALAKI STARKS: Yeah, it’s just instincts. He’s just a ballplayer. He’s fast. Closing speed. And I think when I just watch him move. We do tackle drills, you see him move. That kid is smooth.

Q. And you were high-profile player, you play beside Dan Jackson. Obviously, on a different path, but it’s been valuable. What’s it like playing with him?

MALAKI STARKS: Yeah, man, I love Dan. I think everybody needs a person like Dan with them. And we’ve gotten pretty close. When I got here, me and Dan were competing for the same spot. Because Chris [Peal] much had his spot locked in. And me and Dan were pretty much competing for the same spot. It was all love.

He took me under his wing, and me and Dan have been close since I got here. Having a guy like that, it’s amazing.

Q. Who are some of the younger kids you see in practice every day, these guys are going to be

good down the line for Georgia?

MALAKI STARKS: Yeah, I think when you look at it, Nitro (NiTareon Tuggle) is a good one. Nitro has great talent. Nate [Frazier], obviously.

Q. Nitro (Nitro NiTareon), I know you play against him in practice. What do you like about him?

MALAKI STARKS: Yeah, it’s just his ability to do things. Like he’s not the fastest ever. He’s not the tallest ever. But the kid, he can run. He can run routes. He can catch. He’s a ballplayer. When the ball comes down his way, nine times out of ten, he comes out with the ball. And I think that’s huge. And early in his career, you don’t really see that from young people, it’s just not a thing. I think it’s something he’s always been used to. And I think that’s huge.

Even when you look at guys playing like Gabe Harris, he’s going to be really good. Just guys coming up in that class. That whole class. They’re a really loaded class for sure.

Q. Obviously, Gunner’s [Stockton] team for the remainder of the season. What do you like about Gunner? And what gives you confidence in him?

MALAKI STARKS: I think the confidence he has gives us confidence in him. And I’ve been knowing Gunner since I was a kid, so that relationship runs deep. I’m just excited for him, and I know he’s going to do well.

Q. What does it mean to you to play in a historic bowl game for the New Year’s Six like the Sugar Bowl?

MALAKI STARKS: It’s special. This is my first name New Orleans. First time in the Sugar Bowl. I know there’s a lot of history here, and I’m excited to learn it. It’s crazy to think that I can be a part of history, so I’m excited.

Q. I spent a lot of time early in Kirby’s coaching career in a room with him. A game like this that’s going to be a little more physical. Was he in the room a little bit more in preparation for this game?

MALAKI STARKS: He’s always the same. I don’t think it can grow anymore because he’s always in the. Radio. He’s very intense. He wants everybody to be their best.

Q. What do you view as the most dangerous part of Riley Leonard’s game?

MALAKI STARKS: Yeah, he can hurt you everywhere. He’s not very ‚Äì what’s the word I’m looking for? He’s not very locked into a box. Like he’s very mobile. He can do anything he wants, really. And that’s the threat you face when you have a guy like him.

Q. A couple different running backs with Notre Dame. Jeremiyah Love, actually he was sitting in the same seat you’re in a couple minutes ago. What do you see in his game?

MALAKI STARKS: He’s elite. That’s the way to put it. Very explosive, fast, physical, knows how to run the route. Can you put him out in the pass game if you need to. He’s a great protector. When you look at his game, it’s very complete. You got to be on your Ps and Qs.

Q. What have you learned the most from your Defensive Coordinator (Glenn Schumann)?

MALAKI STARKS: Schu has taught me what football really is. I think college is more complex than high school, and coming in, you think you know defense, but you really don’t. And I think when I came in, Schu taught me some things that I wouldn’t have learned without him.

Q. I was talking to Tate [Ratledge] about the physicality, what’s the tell, and he said when linebackers stick their face into you, that’s like, okay, that’s different. What about offensively, what’s offensively, okay, this is a tell that this team is not just trying to be physical, they actually are?

MALAKI STARKS: The biggest thing is when you look at it, like the ball is down here and the O-line is covering and they push the pile, that’s the biggest thing you see, the physicality from the O-line.

But you see it from everyone, the backs, the block on the edge, I think that’s a way to tell they have that on tape, they are. And throughout the year.

Q. No. 4 (Jeremiyah Love), like, the way, obviously, he has the hurdles and speed and all that. You guys see that all the time in your league. But he seems like he has a physical edge to it. Is a speed back that likes to run –

MALAKI STARKS: Like I said earlier, I said he’s elite. I don’t think there’s a flaw in his game. Like you say, It’s very physical. Very fast. You can come out in the pass game, a great blocker. When you look at his game, it’s very complete. And you just got to be ready when you play a guy like that.

Q. How is Riley Leonard a pain this the butt to defend in the run game?

MALAKI STARKS: Yeah, I mean, it’s crazy because he can hurt you in so many different ways. It’s like you can’t just take one thing away and be like, okay, we’re good. There’s multiple things you can do. You got to be ready when you face a guy like that. And the coaches have a great game plan.

Q. Some of his (Xavier Watts) coaches have described him as the slowest moving fast guy. I can’t remember the phrase. When you watch him, it’s like, okay, I got him, but he runs away?

MALAKI STARKS: I’m not on the team, but when you watch him on tape, he’s not slow. He has speed. He’s a good athlete. I think a lot of people mistake that when they play. But you see it on tape, he’s a good athlete. So you got to be ready.

Q. Do you admire other good safety players?

MALAKI STARKS: Yeah, I’m at an award event last year. And I mean, yeah, when you see great work, you admire it, and you study it. And that’s something I’ve watched. I’ve studied film on him (Xavier Watts) and studied film on their corners. When you see something that’s elite, you want to be elite with it. Yeah, for sure.