Want to attack every day with the latest Georgia football recruiting info? That’s the Intel. This rep has the latest with 5-star KJ Bolden. He ranks as the nation’s No. 1 S and the No. 7 overall prospect for 2024 on the 247Sports Composite ratings. The On3 Industry Ranking has him as the nation’s No. 1 S and the No. 8 overall recruit.
The decision for 5-star safety KJ Bolden came down moments ago. It was a much-anticipated one at that.
For those that follow the Georgia football team, it was a litmus. Does the current soaring strength of the Georgia brand counter all on the recruiting trail?
Perhaps the better wording there would be the term “overcome” to describe it best.
Could the Georgia football brand of development and the recent championship tradition hold off charges of different sorts from Alabama, Auburn, FSU and Ohio State?
Alabama is Alabama. The Crimson Tide went over to Georgia and stole the nation’s No. 1 safety prospect in Caleb Downs from under the noses of DawgNation a year ago.
Auburn was a recent wild card. The Tigers only got three visits from Bolden, but they had the last one before his decision. The candidacy to choose War Eagle centered around starting something new and also the new era of a heavy NIL package to take down all the great things going for Georgia football of late.
FSU was Bolden’s childhood dream school. The ‘Noles are a resurgent brand that is expecting to take another step forward this season. They, like a few programs in the final cut here, could offer immediate playing time and another attractive NIL package.
Ohio State is one of the most recognizable brands in college football. Bolden has long mentioned the ways they promote their players off the field as a major plus. He even had a blood relative on the coaching staff there.
The time-tested recruiting staple corollary of “follow the visits” was applied here. Georgia had approximately 15 times in which it hosted Bolden to help lock his decision down. That was far more than any other school. Bolden visited Georgia more in 2022 alone than he visited any other school.
There was also a relationship that Bolden himself described as like no other with Georgia coach Kirby Smart.
In the end, it came down to three of the strongest options here with Bolden.
Door number 1 was Auburn. That was the school that hosted him the last. Did the tried-and-true staple of the last visit thinking hold true?
Door number 2 was FSU. That was the childhood dream school that offered a mix of strong appeal in a lot of key elements of his decision. They maybe weren’t the strongest across the board, but the opportunity there was attractive.
Door number 3 was the Georgia Bulldogs. Bolden had said the long-term development mattered more to him than short-term NIL packages. It would be taxing for anyone to make a case of any safety being better off developing and training anywhere else in college football other than Kirby Smart and Will Muschamp and Fran Brown.
Bolden chose door number 2 in a lavish ceremony that included a live DJ, a live host, a light-up marquee with his name in letters that belonged in the lobby of a Vegas club.
He grew up a ‘Nole. He’s going to be a ‘Nole and stressed the impact of FSU coach Mike Norvell and how he hoped to bring that program back from some down years.
The Seminoles are getting a player that could make plays at the highest levels of college football at safety or the “Star” position or even at cornerback. He could even be a reliable option at receiver (his favorite spot on the field) if he chose that path.
He should contend for playing time immediately given his length, athleticism, ball skills and work ethic. His junior highlight reel below validates that.
SENTELL’S INTEL
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