Five-Star Plus+ Safety KJ Bolden commits to Florida State
Five-Star Plus+ safety KJ Bolden of Buford (GA) High announced his commitment to Florida State Saturday evening.
The 6-foot-1, 185 pounder chose the Seminoles over Georgia and Auburn.
“Just the way the program is coming back up to the top,” Bolden said. “That has always been my dream to play for Florida State.”
His relationship with the coaching staff and their plan for him played an important role in his decision.
“My relationship with the coaching staff is great,” Bolden said. “Coach Norvell always makes me feel like I’m home when I’m there and stays in contact with me. Coach Atkins, coach Surtain, coach Fuller, all of those guys make sure they check up on me and want the best for me. I’m a DB, anything they need me to do I’m going to do to be the best for the team.”
The Peach State defensive back joins coach Mike Norvell and the Seminoles top 5 class in the 2024 team rankings. He is accompanied by five-star tight end Landen Thomas, five-star cornerback Charles Lester III, and others.
Scouting Summary
“One of more versatile athletes in the 2024 cycle with considerable upside as a safety. Measured in at 6-foot, 185 pounds prior to his senior season. Has good length with 32-inch arms. Posted strong track marks as a high school underclassmen with a personal best of 10.76 seconds in the 100 meters. 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. Flashes outstanding play speed on Friday nights. Closes quickly with physicality in defending the flats. Has shown good deep range in coverage both on Friday nights and in 7-on-7. Played a bunch of offense as a junior. Shows good playmaking ability and overall athleticism on that side. While his ball skills are good for a safety, they would need to improve where he plays offense in college. Has not replicated his impressive track times later in his high school career. Has a relatively smaller sample size relative to some of his highly-touted peers on defense heading into his senior season.”
Bolden ranks as the No. 8 player in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He also tabs in as the No. 1 safety and the No. 2 player in the state of Georgia.
He currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $368K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.
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