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Georgia rising star named one of PFF's top 50 college players

Jeremy Johnsonby: Jeremy Johnson07/06/25JeremyO_Johnson
KJ Bolden/Georgia
Photo by Jeremy Johnson.

Georgia sophomore safety KJ Bolden is getting the national love ahead of his second season as a starter in Athens. Bolden was named as one of the top 50 college football players by Pro Football Focus ahead of his sophomore season.

The former five-star recruit is ranked as the No. 42 player in the rankings by PFF. Bolden is the lone Georgia player included in the top 50 rankings.

“Georgia may have lost a superstar safety in first-round pick Malaki Starks, but another one is already waiting in the wings,” PFF said of Bolden. “Bolden, the No. 1 safety in the 2024 recruiting class and a top-15 overall prospect, quickly lived up to the hype in his freshman season. Bolden finished the year as the eighth-most-valuable returning Power Four safety, per PFF’s Wins Above Average metric. His 13 coverage stops tied for the fifth most among all FBS safeties. He pairs impressive speed with physicality and reliable tackling, despite weighing just 185 pounds.”

KJ Bolden made an immediate impact for Georgia

Bolden was a highly prioritized recruit in the 2024 recruiting class. He also made an immediate impact for Georgia in 2024. He started at safety against Clemson in the season opener and never relinquished his spot.

Bolden put up 59 total tackles, had one interception and added a sack as well. His role could be even larger in 2025 as Malaki Starks has taken his talent to the NFL. Starks was a first round pick by the Baltimore Ravens.

Dan Jackson is also in the NFL now after being a seventh round draft pick this spring. Bolden also enjoyed playing a key role as a freshman.

“It’s been exciting, really, just to get to go out every day and compete with my guys, that’s just the best part about it,” Bolden said at Sugar Bowl Media Day back in December. “Here at Georgia, we got a different standard up here, and we rely on being physical, connected. This season all the far, I just feel like I definitely enjoyed it a lot, and I’m just still looking forward to more games ahead of us.”

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