After a low-scoring, hard-hitting start, No. 1 Georgia ran away from No. 14 Clemson for a dominant 34-3 win. The Bulldogs were led by their stars, on both sides of the ball, with highly touted NFL Draft prospects Carson Beck, Malaki Starks and Mykel Williams, as well as rising talent Jalon Walker, all playing significant roles.
The Athletic draft experts Dane Brugler and Nick Bamgardner on what they saw from those future pros:
Carson Beck, QB (23-of-33 passing for 278 yards and two TDs; three rushes for 23 yards)
Those looking for a “wow” factor from Beck likely were disappointed. But part of that is the Georgia offense, which emphasizes the quick game and encourages checkdowns. All Beck does, though, is execute at a high level by attacking the void in the defense. He has a quick release, eliminates things quickly and competes with a calming confidence that keeps him locked in.
Beck doesn’t receive nearly enough credit for his athleticism and ability to buy time or pick up positive yardage with his legs — something we saw multiple times against Clemson. He entered the season as QB1, and nothing happened in the opener to change that. — Dane Brugler
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It’s fair to question whether or not Beck sweats. Clemson’s defense, which includes freaky sophomore Peter Woods, brought the gas early and Beck consistently sidestepped, shuffled and reset himself to carve up the Tigers. On top of his performance through the air, Beck had two impressive scrambles and multiple pocket escapes against an athletic Clemson front seven. If you’re looking for holes in his game, get your magnifying glass. — Nick Baumgardner
Malaki Starks, S (two tackles, one INT)
Starks debuted at No. 9 in my preseason top 50 — yet, I’m already worried I have him too low. His fourth-quarter interception is the type of play that makes him one of the best safety prospects we have seen over the last decade. Most safeties cannot defend a slot fade against speed, but Starks isn’t most safeties. He stayed balanced in his transition, got his head turned and made an unreal interception. The body control and ball-attacking skills were tremendous.
A safety who moves like a corner but hits like a linebacker and catches like a wide receiver? Yeah, Starks will be drafted high. — Brugler
Play 👏 Maker 👏
📺: Watch live on ABC#GoDawgs | @StarksMalaki pic.twitter.com/G9jxVOgTRE
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) August 31, 2024
Kirby Smart said it all during his postgame interview on the field: In terms of ball skills and confidence, Starks reminds him of Champ Bailey. Smart, of course, shared a defensive backfield with Bailey at Georgia when both were college players — so he would know.
Starks’ ridiculous second-half interception Saturday was proof of that, and it’ll be one of the best INTs you’ll see all year. More important to his draft outlook, though, is that Starks isn’t a corner, despite how that play looked. In some ways, he’s positionless. Starks could be this year’s version of former Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, in that too many people may get lost in the sauce with regard to his position and forget he’s easily one of the 10 best players in college football. — Baumgardner
Mykel Williams, Edge (two tackles for loss)
Williams left the game in the second half with a leg injury after absorbing a low block, so we’ll see how serious that is moving forward.
Prior to the injury, though, Williams flashed a little bit of everything that makes him a top-10 prospect right now. Georgia continued to line him up all over the place — over the center, inside at defensive tackle and on either edge. He also dropped into the flat and covered, ran down plays in the backfield and looked like a Travon Walker clone more than once. If he’s healthy, he’ll be in the No. 1 pick discussion. — Baumgardner
Jalon Walker, Edge (six tackles, one tackle for loss, 1 1/2 sacks)
It’s impossible not to notice Walker, even when he moves all over the place.
Saturday, be it in the stack or off the edge, Walker made an impact from wire to wire. He finished with a team high in tackles and provided consistent pressure in the Clemson backfield. When Williams went down with his injury, Walker responded with back-to-back disruptive plays up front, after spending chunks of the first half at linebacker.
✊
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— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) August 31, 2024
With one of the more unique skill sets of any front-seven defender in this class, Walker absolutely improved his stock Saturday and will be one to watch this fall as a top defensive prospect for 2025. — Baumgardner
(Top photo of Carson Beck: David J. Griffin / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
