KJ Bolden became a public Florida State commit on Saturday night.
He had just been a Seminole for a lot longer than that.
It goes back to his childhood. Family friend Erin Wilson told DawgNation on Saturday night she remembered taking him to his first FSU football camp when he was nine years old.
He told her he was going to play for FSU then. That was well before he saw his football career take flight and soar to being ranked a 5-star, an All-American and seen as the No. 1 safety prospect in the country for the 2024 class.
That glee in his heart whenever he did that FSU chop had remained the same. Bolden posed for hundreds of pictures with friends and family and supporters on Saturday night.
His elbow should be sore in the morning from all the chopping he was doing in those photos.
“I just went with my heart,” Bolden said on Saturday night. “I would just say the Seminoles have always been in my heart since day one. As a kid, just growing up there. I went to every camp that Florida State had. So I just felt like that school was just meant for me.”
Bolden said he made the final decision on Friday night.
“It was probably like last night,” he said after his ceremony on Saturday. “I just had to talk to the man upstairs. You know I thank God for everything and without him I wouldn’t be in this position. I just talked to him and it just kind of felt like this school right here was where he was telling me to go.”
He said his last visit to check out FSU was a major key.
“It was probably the last time I went back down there,” he said. “The way they treated my family and treated us it was like no other. They kind of made us feel at home. So on the way back, my Mom was like ‘This might be home’ and said Mom it might be. It ended up happening.”
When asked about the many trips to check out Georgia and his relationship with Kirby Smart, he chose to focus on the school he committed to on Saturday.
“I mean it was cool and all,” he said. “I mean I love Coach Smart to death. He is still my guy regardless of what school I go to but right now I’m just trying to talk about the ‘Noles right now.”
He said he didn’t give any of the coaches recruiting him advance notice on his final decision.
“They were texting me when I was right up there on the stage,” he said. “Nah, I didn’t let no coaches know. Only my parents.”
Bolden believes in the FSU program.
“We all can tell right here that Florida State is fixing to rise up,” Bolden said. “I think last year we finished like top 10, I think? Something like that. We should finish top 10 this year. Coach brought in a couple of new guys that will help the team out a lot. I think we can go win it all this year for sure.”
It was a full-circle moment for Bolden on Saturday night. He said when he was a freshman that if he could go to any program in the country to play college football, it would be that one in Tallahassee.
That’s the one he picked on Saturday night.
“Thousand percent committed,” he said. “There isn’t anything else you can say once you commit. You are a thousand percent committed. Unless God just gives me another feeling but right now I am definitely locked in with my ‘Noles.”
Georgia 5-star QB commitment Dylan Raiola was there on Saturday night to see Bolden make his college decision. Those two had grown close in the class of 2024.
It was evident that Raiola really wanted to go chase more championships with Bolden in the same locker room.
“Definitely a little sad,” he said. “I’ve known KJ for a long time, but I’m definitely proud of him. He’s been through it all in his high school career. He’s achieved great accolades. Great person. Great family. I couldn’t be more proud and more hyped for the Bolden family. I can’t wait to see him do big things.”
The ‘Dawgs missed out on a chance to add another 5-star to their class. Bolden would have been the 12th prospect ranked among the top 100 overall prospects nationally in the nation’s top-rated class.
“It obviously hurts missing out on KJ,” Raiola said. “I’ve known KJ for a long time. Just to see him go to Florida State hurt a little bit but at the same time, I’m glad and happy for him. Where he goes to college isn’t going to define our friendship or how much respect I have for him as an individual.”
“He’s going to be living out his dream. For me, it hurts because that’s my guy but at the same time, I’m always going to support him. He knows that. I’m happy for him. That’s my teammate. We’ve got a state championship to win this year together and nothing’s going to change between us.”
SENTELL'S INTEL
(check on the recent reads on Georgia football recruiting)
