Five-Star Plus safety KJ Bolden officially signs with Georgia
Buford (Ga.) five-star safety KJ Bolden entered National Signing Day as Florida State commit.
Coming out of it, he is officially a Georgia Bulldog. Bolden has officially signed his national letter of intent to college football at Georgia.
Bolden announced a flip from Florida State at a ceremony at Buford High School on Wednesday.
The No. 13 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Rankings committed to Florida State back on Aug. 5.
Bolden visited Georgia for the Bulldogs’ game against South Carolina. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart and Will Muschamp both took an in-home visit to Georgia two weeks before signing day.
That visit ‘went well’ according to Bolden’s mother LaKiesha Wright. Bolden spoke to reporters after his announcement. It was Georgia’s culture an opportunity to play with and compete against the best that rattled in the five-star’s brain.
“When they stayed in contact, I just told Coach I want to play for the best and practice with the best,” Bolden said. “I want to be one of the best players in the nation at one of the best programs in the nation.”
Bolden didn’t tell Smart of his decision over the last few weeks. Smart has been a key recruiter in Bolden’s process.
Smart made Bolden’s importance clear.
“They were surprised, honestly. Well, they weren’t too surprised. Coach Kirby told me he wasn’t letting another in-state kid like me leave the state,” Bolden said. “He told me that, and I didn’t tell him until the final weeks coming down to the wire. He said he wouldn’t let another in-state kid leave. It was just crazy.”
KJ Bolding Scouting Report
One of more versatile athletes in the 2024 cycle with considerable upside as a safety. Measured in at 6-foot, 185 pounds prior to his senior season. Has good length with 32-inch arms. Posted strong track marks as a high school underclassman with a personal best of 10.76 seconds in the 100 meters. Also tests well in the combine setting.
Plays both ways for Georgia powerhouse Buford High as a receiver and defensive back. Projects as a defensive back and likely at safety long-term, where his combination of athleticism and length makes him one of the nation’s best. Flashes outstanding play speed on Friday nights. Closes quickly with physicality in defending the flats. Has shown good deep range in coverage both on Friday nights and in 7-on-7. Played a bunch of offense as a junior. Shows good playmaking ability and overall athleticism on that side. While his ball skills are good for a safety, they would need to improve were he to play offense in college. Has not replicated his impressive track times later in his high school career. Has a relatively smaller sample size relative to some of his highly-touted peers on defense heading into his senior season.
