Georgia beats out Alabama and Clemson for in-state 5-star prospect

Kirby Smart and Georgia are at it again on the recruiting trail, as five-star athlete Malaki Starks announced his commitment to the Bulldogs. 

There’s a party going on in Athens right now and the Georgia Bulldogs coaches are raising the roof. That’s because once again Kirby Smart and his assistants have beaten out some of the biggest powerhouses around the country for a touted prospect.

This time it’s 2022 five-star athlete Malaki Starks, who just announced his commitment. Starks was down to the Bulldogs, Alabama and Clemson, but the lure of playing for Georgia was too much to pass up.

Georgia landing 5-star Malaki Starks is another big win for the program

Out of Jefferson High in Jefferson, Ga., the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder projects as either a safety or linebacker at the next level. Throughout his recruitment, Starks picked up 15 offers, ultimately trimming things down to Georgia, Alabama and Clemson. He’s decided to stay close to home, though, and suit up for Smart instead of Nick Saban or Dabo Swinney.

“At Georgia I feel like I’d have the ability to move around on the field which I’d love to do and it feels like family every time I talk to them,” Starks recently told 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong. “If I go there I’d be competing with some of the best people and I’ll be close to home.”

Per the 247Sports Composite, the future Bulldog is ranked the No. 4 athlete in the country, the No. 29 player nationally and the No. 4 recruit from Georgia. For the Bulldogs, the addition of Starks now gives them three 5-star commits for ’22, with him joining quarterback Gunner Stockton and athlete Deyon Bouie. All three players hail from The Peach State.

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