Georgia Bulldogs true freshman defensive back K.J. Bolden, who is a former five-star recruit, made an immediate impact in Week 1 for Georgia. Bolden finished the Clemson game with four tackles, which was tied-for the second-most on the team.
K.J. Bolden had a highly contested recruitment. He had been committed to Florida State from Aug. into Dec. 2023 before flipping to the Bulldogs, with Auburn also being a factor in his recruitment. He had a strong offseason and started the opening game against Clemson, turning in and impressive performance including a crucial third down stop on the first drive.
The recruiting landscape has changed greatly over the past few years with the introduction of name, image and likeness. However, program reputation remains a prominent factor in the recruiting process, something that Kai Bolden gave insight into this week in an interview with On3’s Phillip Dukes. Kai Bolden is the father of former Buford High School star safety K.J. Bolden, who is now a starter from Georgia.
“Did he (K.J. Bolden) really get $2 million to go to Georgia?” asked On3’s Phillip Dukes.
“Nah, man,” said Kai Bolden. “Actually we could have went to other schools and got more money. It just actually came down to where he wanted to be and the team he saw that gave him the best possibility to play on Sundays. But, nah. Georgia definitely did not offer him the most money.”
Kai also estimated that K.J. turned down “at least” $200,000 in NIL in order to attend Georgia over other schools.
“Georgia is gonna put 10 other elite athletes out there with you,” said Kai Bolden. “When you go to a school like Georgia, you just gotta do your job. And, you know, it makes it easier for you as a DB when you’re playing with a great defensive line.”
