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Alabama

Five-Star Plus+ S KJ Bolden visits Alabama

On3 imageby:Drew Schott•04/05/23•

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KJ Bolden
(Photo by Chad Simmons/On3)

Buford (Ga.) Five-Star Plus+ safety KJ Bolden is taking three unofficial visits over the next few days. One of the schools to host him is Alabama.

Bolden spent the day in Tuscaloosa seeing the Crimson Tide, one of his top 15 programs. He is preparing to visit Georgia on April 6 and Auburn on April 8.

A 6-foot-0, 185-pound defensive back, Bolden is the No. 4 overall prospect and No. 1 safety in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 1 player in Georgia.

While visiting Alabama, he met with head coach Nick Saban and Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II, who played for the Crimson Tide. According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, Georgia is leading for his commitment at 27.2%.

“It is a legendary program,” Bolden told On3’s Chad Simmons on Jan. 19 about Alabama. “The 2023 class was loaded with five-stars. Alabama always has top talent and they are trying to stay at the top. (Wide receivers) coach (Holmon) Wiggins and (cornerbacks coach Travaris Robinson) are still on me hard. What Alabama has built over there is legendary. They just have been doing things at another level.”

How Alabama develops safeties and wide receivers also impresses Bolden.

“It’s Receiver U,” Bolden told Joseph Hastings of BamaInsider on Jan. 23. “Bama has a lot of receivers that go to the league… As they get through the program, they become bigger names and they’ve had a bunch of first-round guys. DeVonta Smith won the Heisman two years ago, so that’s kind of nice.

“Safety-wise, they bring in a lot of top dogs,” he added. “Bama puts a lot of people in the league, safety-wise and corner-wise, and Nick Saban is the DB coach. I would love being coached by Nick Saban as my position coach.”

Alabama is not the only school pushing hard for Bolden

In addition to Alabama, multiple programs are heavily involved in Bolden’s recruitment. He has visited Georgia 10 times, while Auburn hosted him on March 16.

The five-star also went to Arkansas on March 4 and spent April 3-4 at Florida State, which was his dream school growing up.

At the moment, Bolden is set to visit USC on April 15 and Oregon on April 29. Additionally, there are still multiple parts of his recruitment that are unresolved, including who will get his remaining official visits.

“A lot of schools keep communicating with me a lot,” Bolden told Simmons on March 20. “Who gets the other official visits is really up in the air. Whatever I feel like is the best, I’m just gonna go with it.”