Malaki Starks and Asa Newell were just two kids at Jefferson Elementary School in the late 2000’s, wondering what life would bring. Starks stayed in the area during his middle and high school years, while Newell finished his prep career in the Florida panhandle.
But now, Jefferson Middle School can claim two first-round draft selections in the NFL and NBA Drafts.
Malaki Starks was a five-star prospect and No. 12 overall recruit for the Jefferson Dragons before committing to play college football at the University of Georgia in October 2021. As a true freshman free safety, Starks helped the Bulldogs to a National Championship victory. Declaring for the NFL Draft on January 6, Starks was selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the 27th overall pick.
Asa Newell was selected by the New Orleans Pelicans as the No. 23 overall pick before being acquired by the Atlanta Hawks on June 26.
“Asa is unbelievable. With where the league is going, people with size and athleticism like that just make sense,” said Hawks General Manager Onsi Saleh. “He’s a great screener, a great human being, a ridiculous athlete, and a really smart player too. He is an unbelievable competitor and does things that impact winning.”
Newell left Athens for Destin, Florida where he played for several high schools before committing to the University of Georgia as a consensus five-star recruit in the Class of 2024. He selected Georgia over Gonzaga, Texas and Alabama. He played for the US U-17 basketball team and competed in the FIBA U-19 Basketball World Cup in 2023.
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