WATCH: Senior highlights for 5-star Georgia signee KJ Bolden
Georgia added a massive piece to its 2024 class on National Signing Day as Buford safety KJ Bolden flipped his commitment from Florida State to Georgia. The Bulldogs beat out the Seminoles for his signature but Auburn was considered the main competition in the lead up.
Bolden was a top target for Georgia for around two years. Fran Brown spearheaded his recruitment before he made the move to Syracuse to become the Orange’s head coach. Will Muschamp then took the reins after being heavily involved throughout.
Most of the Georgia staff was involved at one point or another. The Bulldogs were long thought to be the leader for Bolden’s services before he surprised a large portion of the industry with that commitment to this summer. Kirby Smart refused to give up on the five-star talent and his senior highlights show why the Georgia head coach was so persistent.
On3 Scouting on KJ Bolden
At 6-feet 185 pounds, Bolden is the nation’s No. 13 overall prospect per the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average taken from the four major recruiting services. He’s the nation’s No. 1 safety and the No. 2 prospect in the Peach State.
“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.
“Bolden 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.”
