After Injury Derailed Freshman Season, LSU Football Recruit Malaki Starks Is Making Waves in 2022 Class

Starks being recruited by Tigers as defensive back, thinks he hasn’t even scratched the surface on his ability

Malaki Starks is just now starting to find his groove as a high school football player. As a freshman, Starks broke his foot at Jefferson High School, ending his season before it really even started.

"I feel like when most people get an injury and sit out for a long time, it can kind of get to you," Starks said. "When you're hurt you kind of feel like you're on an island by yourself but for me the way I attacked my rehab and didn't lose faith, it shows me that life is going to hit you in the mouth and you just gotta get up."

When he first came back from his injury, he was scared. However, when he took the field as a sophomore in his first game, Starks took a "now or never" approach.

"I decided to not let my injury beat me and my first year of high school football couldn't have been better," Starks said. "It's great to get all of the offers but I've got more to prove."

In just one year as a starter, Starks has become one of the more coveted athletes in the country, with schools like LSU recruiting him on the defensive side of the ball. In addition to LSU, Alabama, Clemson, Auburn, Georgia, Florida and Notre Dame have all made offers to the Jefferson, Georgia native. 

The Tigers were the second program to officially offer Starks back in Oct. 2019, right in the heart of their quest for a national championship.

"It felt amazing to get an offer from a school like that because they were so successful and having such a great year," Starks said. 

In the months to follow Starks has made sure to stay in touch with the LSU program as much as possible, most recently spending some time on the phone with coach Ed Orgeron as well as defensive backs coach Corey Raymond.

"He's a really cool dude, I like him," Starks said of Orgeron. "Everybody up there, it's just a good vibe. He [Orgeron] said he really likes my athleticism and the fact that I could play both sides of the ball. He told me I could play wherever I want but that he sees me on defense. It was a good experience.

"Coach Corey loves my film, he loves the way I can run and can hit. Like coach O, he also likes that versatility I bring on both sides of the ball and that I'd fit in great there."

Most schools are recruiting him as a defensive back and for a 6-foot-2 lengthy corner like Starks, the interest level is high. What makes Starks so unique is that he knows how to use that size to his advantage. His versatility to play multiple positions is another trait that Starks feels can help him in his growth as a defensive back.

Throughout his football career, Starks has played quarterback, running back, receiver, safety and returned kicks as well. With a background at all three of those main offensive positions, he understands the mindset of each position and how to best attack being a defensive back.

"I feel like with my height, my weight, my speed, you just don't come across very often so I definitely think that helps me stand out a little bit," Starks said. "My speed, my hands and my leadership, it all helps me be that player that everybody is chasing."

Entering his second full year, there's plenty he still wants to prove to not only college scouts but to himself as well. One area in particular has been his eyes and making sure he is not only keeping them on his receiver but back at the quarterback to.

"Just making sure I'm seeing the right things, I'm going through various coverages with my teammates and coaches and I'm learning a lot," Starks said. "I'm working on my hips and making sure I'm not lifting them too early but I really want to improve on everything since this is only my second year."

Starks was able to watch plenty of LSU's race to the national championship and said that what he took away most from the secondary in particular is the trust level they have in one another. During the quarantine, the rising junior has made it an emphasis to study the techniques of various players he enjoyed watching last season.

Among those players was LSU freshman sensation Derek Stingley Jr., who quite simply proved to be one of if not the best corners in college football in his first year.

"The swag and the confidence they have on the field and in each other, that really stood out to me a lot," Starks said. "He [Stingley] had a great season last year and not to mention, he's a freshman. That goes to say that if you can play, you're going to get your opportunity at a school like LSU. One thing I really took away from him is the confidence level and when you look at him lineup, you can tell that he's thinking nobody's going to get past me."

Following in the footsteps of a player like Stingley and so many other great LSU defensive backs is something Starks has thought about. The rising junior looks forward to continuing to develop a relationship with the LSU staff in the coming weeks and months. 

"I feel like it'd be great, the energy in the stadium is amazing," Starks said. "I don't know everybody but the ones I've had the chance to meet, they're amazing. They have such a good culture so having the opportunity to put on that uniform and play for them in front of those people, it makes me feel good because it makes me feel like I can compete with the best of the best."