Auburn battling for Florida State 5-star safety commit KJ Bolden
Buford (Ga.) Five-Star Plus+ safety KJ Bolden has been committed to Florida State since August 5. In that time, perhaps nobody has worked harder to flip Bolden’s commitment than Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers.
Bolden made a surprise half-day visit to the Plains on Monday with just two weeks to go until National Signing Day.
Auburn insider Jeffrey Lee spoke about where the Tigers stand in Bolden’s recruitment on The Inside Scoop football recruiting show.
“A lot of buzz coming out of Auburn,” Lee said. “That was a very big visit for Auburn, for KJ Bolden. You know, Auburn never let go of this guy. They never quit on this guy. And a lot of guys around Auburn think that Auburn was very close to getting him the first time. I know I certainly heard a lot of buzz leading up to that first announcement. The difference now, Josh, and before — I think the class that Auburn has put together since then. Back then they had just gotten a commitment from Perry Thompson. He was kind of the feature guy of that class, maybe Demarcus Riddick.
“Now they’ve got both of those guys, they’ve got Joe Phillips, they’ve got Jamonta Waller, they just added Cam Coleman. And I really think that’s opened KJ’s eyes. Like oh, it’s not just one or two guys. This class could end up being really, really good. So I think with his interest level before, and now some of these recruits jumping on board certainly has opened his eyes with renewed interest in Auburn.”
FSU commitment ‘shaky’
Although Lee isn’t confident enough to predict a flip to Auburn, he said that he does believe Bolden’s commitment to Florida State is far from a sure thing.
“I think shaky. Shaky is probably a good word,” Lee said about where he thinks Bolden’s commitment stands. “I’m not ready to predict him to flip to Auburn. But Hugh Freeze has still got his in-home visit. But I would say shaky at best right now. And I think Florida State is pretty concerned, too. I think the interest from Bolden in Auburn is legit. I think Auburn is absolutely a serious threat to Florida State. So I think it’s something that’s probably still a little bit undecided.”
Auburn hopes to get Bolden back on campus
With two weeks to go until the letters of intent start rolling in, Auburn is hoping to get Bolden back on the Plains one more time.
“That’s the hope. And maybe even the plan, if it’s not tentative,” Lee said. “I haven’t heard a date. He lives a little more than two hours away from Auburn, so it’s something he could easily do. And that’s what he did Monday. He just drove up for a half day for the afternoon and the evening and headed back. I think that’s very likely at this point to see him in the next two weeks come back.”
FSU official visit still on deck
Bolden will visit Florida State on December 15, just days before National Signing Day.
“Yeah that’s not a good look for Auburn, it’s not,” Lee said. “Anytime you get a commitment visiting the school they’re committed to 72 hours before early signing day is never a good thing for the team trying to flip him. You know, KJ took his official visit to Auburn back in the summer and Hugh Freeze still has his in-home visit. But I think Hugh’s going to do that this week. I think he’ll be middle of the week or Thursday. So Auburn’s putting all their eggs in this recruitment. Because the way I see Auburn and Florida State’s battle for KJ Bolden, it started pretty much Sunday and it’s going to end on signing day.
“So they’re getting his visit in, Hugh Freeze is going in for an in-home visit and then you hope to get him back in the next two weeks because you know Mike Norvell is going to go in for an in-home visit. And then he’s going to be at Florida State that weekend before early signing day. So there’s still a lot of pages to turn before this story ends.”