Malik Fleming

Position:
Defensive Back
Height:
5-9
Weight:
178
Class:
Freshman
Hometown:
Fairburn, Ga.
High School:
Hapeville Charter Academy
Major:
Communication

Prior to 2022 season: A two-year starter and three-time lettermen that has appeared in 33 games making 18 starts … Booked 64 career tackles (49 solo) … Registered a pair of TFLs (minus five yards) … Picked off three career passes (30 yards) while adding 12 pass breakups … Registered at least one tackle in 25 of 33 career games (multiple 16 times) ... Named a First-Team All-American Athletic Conference selection by Phil Steele’s Football Gameday Preview … Garnered Second-Team Preseason All-AAC honors from Athlon Sports.

2022: Named to the All-American Athletic Conference Second Team ... Booked four tackles (two solo) and was credited with a pass breakup against No. 13 NC State ... Registered one solo tackle versus Old Dominion ... Started his 13th-straight contest in the win over Campbell ... Tallied three tackles (two solo) ... Started his 14th-straight contest against Navy ... Recorded two tackles (one solo) ... Started his 15th-straight contest versus South Florida ... Logged four tackles (three solo), including half a tackle for loss, and was credited with a pass breakup ... Started his 16th-straight contest at Tulane ... Notched five tackles (all solo) ... Started his 17th-straight contest in the quadruple-overtime triumph over Memphis ... Booked five tackles (two solo) ... Notched his first interception of the season (fourth career), returning it for 30 yards ... Credited with a pass breakup ... Posted four tackles (three solo), including 0.5 tackles for loss in the win over UCF ... Nabbed his second interception of the season ... Was credited with two pass breakups ... Registered four tackles (two solo), including half a tackle for loss at BYU ... Logged four tackles (two solo) at Cincinnati.

2021: Started 11 of 12 games at cornerback … Credited with 34 stops (28 solo) … Named American Defensive Player-of-the-Week (11/1) ... Picked off passes against Marshall (0 yards) and USF (31 yards/TD) in 2021 ... Stood second on the team with nine pass breakups trailing only Ja’Quan McMillian (16) … Tallied TFLs against UCF (-3 yards) and Temple (-2 yards) in 2021 ... Credited with a career-best three PBUs against Tulane (2021) ... Blocked 42-yard FG in the fourth quarter vs. Charleston Southern - snapping a span of 54 games for the Pirates without a blocked FGA (Justin Brown vs. CIN ‘16) ... Established new career-high with seven tackles (six solo) against Cincinnati in the season finale.

2020: Opened seven of nine games at cornerback during sophomore campaign … Started the first seven consecutive tilts before coming off the bench against Temple and SMU … Credited with 25 tackles, 20 of which were solo hits (80.0 percent) … Netted first career interception in first-quarter action vs. Navy, forced a fumble at South Florida and knocked down two pass attempts (UCF, SMU) … Had at least one stop in all nine outings and logged multiple totals seven times … Made first collegiate start vs. UCF (four tackles) … Turned in a season-best five hits (all solo) in Pirates’ road win against Bulls at Raymond James Stadium … Also had four tackles in season finale vs. Mustangs, three each vs. Georgia State and Cincinnati, two against Navy and Tulsa, while booking single stops vs. Tulane and Temple … Posted 18 tackles on pass plays (72.0 percent) and seven on rushes (28 percent).

2019: Played in all 12 games as a special teams playmaker and top reserve in the defensive secondary during true rookie year … Credited with five tackles (one solo) … Opened collegiate career with single stops in back-to-back contests vs. NC State and Gardner-Webb before booking a season-best two at Old Dominion … Added only solo hit at SMU in American Athletic Conference action and also recorded lone pass breakup against Mustangs … Teamed with OLB Gerard Stringer to produce first college tackle vs. Wolfpack (fourth quarter) … One special teams tackle came on kickoff return coverage.

High School: A key figure for a Hornets’ program that compiled a two-year 24-3 overall record and a perfect 13-0 conference mark … A two-way player for coach Winston Gordon who also experienced extensive action as a receiver on offense and as a return specialist … Defensively, logged 53 tackles (34 solo), four TFLs, one sack and 14 interceptions during high school career … Tallied 805 all-purpose yards in three years (361 kickoff returns, 359 punt returns, 60 interception returns and 25 receiving) … Scored four career touchdowns … Opened prep career by making varsity squad as a sophomore at Creekside High School and logged 35 tackles, an interception and eight pass breakups on defense, while racking up 274 kickoff return yards … Transferred to Hapeville prior to junior season and made an immediate splash by picking off two passes and blocking a potential game-tying field goal on the final play in the 2017 opener vs. Banneker High School … Topped entire state of Georgia with nine interceptions as a junior to help lead HCA to a state title with a 14-1 overall record … Also tallied four solo stops and three pass breakups on the way to earning 6-AA All-Region honors … In all, racked up 158 all-purpose yards (25 on kickoff returns, 133 on punt returns), had a TD reception, returned a fumble for a score and took an interception to paydirt in 2017 … Closed out career with 14 tackles (12 solo), four TFLs, a 38-yard interception return and one sack in seven contests … Amassed 328 all-purpose yards, 195 coming on kickoff returns (which included one touchdown) … Selected as the Region 6-AA Defensive Player-of-the-Year following senior season … Considered a three-star prospect by ESPN.com, 247Sports.com and Rivals.com … Officially committed to ECU on March 17, 2018 … Also received offers from Boston College, Louisville, Syracuse and Tulane … Picked off three passes in the Rising Senior Georgia All-Star Game and starred in the Cam Newton Seven-on-Seven camp.

Personal: Son of Tabitha and Otis Fleming … Has two cousins with NFL experience, including safety Eric Berry (a first-round draft pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2010) … Two other cousins played college football at Power 5 schools North Carolina (S Donnie Miles) and Purdue (RB D.J. Knox) … A communication major who was an ECU Honor Roll student during the 2019 fall semester.