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Georgia makes massive jump in chances to land KJ Bolden

Palmber-Thombsby:Palmer Thombs•05/21/23•

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KJ Bolden
KJ Bolden/Twitter

Georgia has made a massive jump in its On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) advantage for five-star plus+ safety KJ Bolden. Coming into an unofficial visit this weekend in Athens, the Bulldogs were given a 29.5% chance to land the Buford, Ga. product. Now out of town, the AI-powered percentage gives Georgia a 61.8% chance to land him.

Clemson comes in second at 8.7% followed by Alabama (6.9%) and Ohio State (5.3%), the only other programs with a greater than 2.5% chance to land Bolden’s talents according to the RPM.

“I have visited Georgia a lot throughout my high school career, but today gave me a feeling that this could be home for the next three to four years,” Bolden told On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons.

Before his visit, Bolden announced his plans to take five official visits. Trips include Clemson (June 2), Georgia (June 9), Ohio State (June 17), Alabama (June 23) and Auburn (September 29). He does not plan to commit until after taking all the visits with the possibility that others get scheduled between now and then. Schools like Arkansas, Florida and Florida State could be in the mix for a visit should he decide to take more having seen each of those campuses multiple times.

Bolden had previously planned to commit during the summer.

Bolden earned all-state honors in 2022 playing both ways for Buford. He was named Defensive Back of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Gwinnett. According to the On3 Industry Ranking, Bolden is the No. 5 player in the country overall and the top player for his position. On3 has him higher than any other ranking service at No. 10 in the On300.

KJ Bolden Scouting Report

One of the top overall athletes in the 2024 cycle early on. Has a plus frame checking in at 6-foot, 185 pounds with a 6-foot-4 wing-span prior to his junior season. Has a personal best mark of 10.76 seconds in the 100 meters, showing outstanding high-end speed early on in his high school career. 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. Will need to improve his ball skills to be a top receiver prospect, but has the coordination to be well above average as a defensive back in that regard. – Charles Power, On3 Director of Scouting

Should Bolden end up at Georgia, he’d join a 2024 class that’s currently ranked No. 1 in the country, headlined by the Bulldogs’ most recent commit, five-star-plus quarterback Dylan Raiola. Raiola is ranked the No. 1 player in the country according to the On3 Industry Ranking, one of two five-stars already on board alongside cornerback Ellis Robinson IV.

On the offensive side, Georgia also has commitments from wide receiver Ny Carr, running back Dwight Phillips, quarterback Ryan Puglisi, wide receiver NiTareon Tuggle, wide receiver Sacovie White and offensive tackle Malachi Toliver.

While the Bulldogs’ defensive class isn’t quite as strong in numbers with just five commits to the offense’s seven, the quality speaks for itself with all in the top-100 according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Commits alongside Robinson include: linebacker Demarcus Riddick, safety Jaylen Heyward, safety Peyton Woodyard and cornerback Demello Jones.

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