Safety KJ Bolden on freshman season with Georgia football and one area he wants to improve

KJ Bolden’s flip from Florida State to Georgia football was a big splash for the Bulldogs’ 2024 signing class.

Landing the 5-star rated safety boosted the secondary and was notable because Bolden played at Buford High where the Bulldogs had seen recruits often get away.

So, Bolden was asked, did he expect to have as big of a role as he did in his freshman season?

“Honestly, I didn’t know,” Bolden told the Athens Banner-Herald before Georgia’s 23-10 loss to Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. “Honestly, I just came in with a great mindset. A working mindset and mentality. Opportunity kind of approached me. Going in every day trying to learn the playbook and learn from the older guys. Once the opportunity was kind of there for me, I kind of wanted to take it.”

Bolden was the second highest graded Georgia defensive player by Pro Football Focus after defensive lineman Christen Miller, who announced Monday he’s returning for a fourth Georgia season.

“There’s so much more beyond covering people, leveraging the ball, understanding the defense,” defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann said. “There’s an amount of pressure that goes into that. And there’s nothing that can simulate being out there in live games. Lights everywhere, cameras, packed stadiums. I just think his poise and his composure in those moments has grown as he’s gained experience. He’s obviously a talented individual and he’s earned the right to be out there. But he’s made some really big plays and I think he’s just a calmer demeanor.”

Perhaps no play was bigger for the 6-foot, 185-pound Bolden than his open-field tackle on running back Quintrevion Wisner for a tackle for loss in overtime in the SEC Championship win over Texas.

“The open field tackle was cool, but it was just winning the game,” he said. “The tackle was pretty phenomenal for…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/safety-kj-bolden-freshman-season-090150533.html

Author : Athens Banner-Herald

Publish date : 2025-01-07 09:01:00

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