Virginia Cavaliers Demick Starling
Demick Starling has 2 touchdown catches in his career so far at Virginia. ~ Photo courtesy of Jim Daves/Virginia Athletics Media Relations

From the time Demick Starling joined the Virginia football program, one word and others like it came attached with his name. Speed. Quick. He’s fast. He can really run. He can go.

For the most part so far, however, a different word that is also a synonym but one of unrealized potential has stayed with Starling. Flash. As in a flash in the pan. Or a flash here and there.

There was a touchdown catch against Abilene Christian late in his 2020 true freshman season. A 65-yard scoring strike against William & Mary in the season opener of 2021. A 40-yard reception against North Carolina last November.

Just as quickly as those plays popped up on offense, however, Starling’s moment in the spotlight faded. To date, he has 11 career receptions in 26 career games. 188 yards. 2 touchdowns. And none since that Sept. 4 Saturday back in 2021, some 700+ days ago.

The potential, though. The potential still remains. And that magic word, speed, was and is true. If he can put it together. Virginia coach Tony Elliott is seeing more than flashes early in preseason practice this month.

“Consistency. With Demick, it’s just consistency,” Elliott said. “The speed is there, the quickness is there, he can really stretch the field - he’s just got to be consistent day in and day out catching the ball. So far, don’t want to jinx him or anything, he’s put together some really, really good practices. Something we didn’t even see in the spring. He’s been able to put two days together, three days together. So now it’s a function of when we come out there, OK we’re not having to worry about Demick as much, it’s more like let’s find where Demick is and let’s try to get him the football. For him, it’s just consistency.”

Starling chased consistency this offseason in two ways. More running. More catching.

While that seems simple, the details behind it were not. Especially not with the running part, which may seem counter-intuitive for someone already known for exactly that. Remember - speed is what’s associated with him most.

Still, Starling turned to something that helped him in high school. Back in 2019 at East Nashville Magnet High School, Starling ran track for the first time on the high school level and received all-state honors from the Tennessee Sports Writers Association in the 100-, 200-, and 400-meter events. He grabbed a state title in the 400. That fall, he caught 34 passes for 454 yards and 5 touchdowns while his team went 10-2. He earned all-region recognition there.

Fast forward to this past spring at Virginia. Starling returned to the track where he joined the sprint group with the Cavaliers. Assistant coach Laron Bennett had an immediate thought that Starling embraced.

“The first thing that Coach Bennett, the sprint coach for the track team, told me is how much it’s going to help me with my speed on the field,” Starling said. “I just feel like it’s really helped me find when to go full speed, when to control my speed, when to open my legs [to full stride] so I feel like it definitely helped.”

In other words, the track team helped Starling harness his speed. It paid off in the spring too. At the ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, he ripped off the third-fastest 100-meter dash ever at UVA. His time was a fast-moving 10.46. He also posted a 21.71 200-meter time at the Virginia High Performance meet in late April.

The trick was to take that from the track to the other field.

The mentality translated for Starling. Use that speed at the right time, not all the time. Be more patient with the set-up portion of a pattern. Details like foot strike, drive phase, and when to open the throttle. Starling thinks it’s helped with route running too.

“Before, I felt like because I’m fast I have to show that all the time,” Starling said. “In route running, I feel like it was kind of hurting me at the top of my route. With track, knowing when to use your drive phase and when to come up, on the field it’s the same thing with route running. At the beginning of route running, every route is a go ball until it’s not. The beginning of every go ball or every 100-meter is your drive phase and that’s not 100 percent. Being able to find that 90 and 80 percent in order to come in and out of your breaks, I feel like track definitely helped me with that.”

Starling also spent some days on the field making hundreds of receptions. He made sure to get the reps that could further help his calling card pay off in production. It’s the type of consistency that Coach Elliott mentioned is needed.

It’s certainly something the Cavaliers could use at receiver where only Northwestern transfer Malik Washington and local Charlottesville wideout Malachi Fields have at least 15 catches and 100 receiving yards in their career to date. Entering his fourth year at Virginia with playing experience if not big numbers and kickoff return work under his belt as well, Starling has the upperclassman maturity to capitalize on the opportunity.

The chance to do that begins back in his hometown. The Hoos open the season against Tennessee in Nashville on Saturday, Sept. 2 at noon.

“I’ve been behind a lot of great receivers that either played in the league or had a chance to play in the league so I feel like I’ve learned from them a lot,” Starling said. “I learned what it takes. I learned what to do on and off the field. Throughout the years, I’ve been patiently waiting and now I feel like I’m ready, 100 percent.”