Malaki Starks and Savanna Jackson first met as fourth-grade students in Jefferson, Ga.
Malaki Starks and Savanna Jackson.
Malaki Starks and Savanna Jackson first met when they were in the same fourth-grade classroom in their hometown of Jefferson, Ga.
The couple, now both 21, moved to Athens when Starks played for the University of Georgia's football team, helping them win the 2022 championship
Most recently, they've once again relocated to Maryland, where Starks is a rookie safety on the Baltimore Ravens
Malaki Starks may be a rookie safety on the Baltimore Ravens, but to his girlfriend, Savanna Jackson, he'll always be the guy who had a crush on her in fourth grade.
That's where it all began for the longtime couple — in the classroom at their elementary school in Jefferson, Ga. They played kickball outside and pushed each other on swing sets, building the foundations of a strong friendship that lasted into their early teen years.
When they entered high school, however, the pair decided to see if their bond could be something more. They started dating, just to see where things could go. "And it led us here," Jackson, now 21, tells PEOPLE.
Meet the WAGs of the 2025 NFL Draft Savanna Jackson Malaki Starks
Meet the WAGs of the 2025 NFL Draft Savanna Jackson Malaki Starks
After a childhood spent cheering on Starks, 21, at his little league sports games, she brings that same spirit and support to the sidelines at his NFL games.
"Really good friendship is the basis of our relationship, which I think makes it so strong," she adds. "We have known each other through so many ups and downs and parts of our life."
At the end of high school, Starks enrolled at the University of Georgia to play Division I football; in 2022, he helped secure a national championship win for the Bulldogs. Jackson started working full-time in Athens, and she opted to take online business management courses so she could attend all of Starks' college football games.
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"I didn't miss a college game at all. I love going to those," she recalls.
The pair opened another new chapter in their love story when they got engaged in October 2024. Announcing the news on Instagram at the time, Jackson wrote, "My person forever and ever and ever."
Jackson admits that life looks a lot different since Starks entered the pro league as a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft, especially due to them relocating to an entirely new state. Lately, she's spent a lot of time making herself at home in Maryland.
"I'm figuring out a new city right now and navigating all of that," the Baltimore Ravens WAG says. "I did put a pause on school just because things got so hectic, but I do have a year left until I get my business management degree, so that is something I plan on finishing as well."
Defensive back Malaki Starks of Georgia celebrates after being selected 27th during the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 24, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Defensive back Malaki Starks of Georgia celebrates after being selected 27th during the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 24, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
From her vantage point, the NFL experience is markedly different from SEC football. Everything that comes with collegiate sports — like the university community and classes — is noticeably absent, and Jackson truly feels like her boyfriend has embarked on a career.
"When this is your job, so your spot is never guaranteed. I think it motivates you to go a little harder," she adds.
Given the fact that players can be traded at almost any point in the year, Jackson knows there's a chance they could have to pick up and move again. These days, she's not just prepared for the possibility — she's prepared to take it on with a smile.
"Yeah, so I growing up was, my mom was an avid planner, so that's kind of the personality that I took on. I'm very type A, I like to know what the next week is going to look like," she admits. "But you just have to be able to adapt to change and look at the positive of it, which is something that took a little bit of time for me to understand how to do."
Jackson continues, "I think we take on the perspective of we always have a home here if we need it, and anywhere that we could go would be a blessing."