Heading into the 2024 season, the Georgia secondary has plenty of room for young talent to fill the void three departing starters left. All three of these starters are now in the NFL, those being cornerback Kamari Lassiter, safety Javon Bullard, and STAR Tykee Smith. According to recent comments by head coach Kirby Smart, five-star freshman K.J. Bolden may be primed to step up in their place.
When asked by former Alabama head coach Nick Saban about young players who could contribute in 2024, Smart said, “I think KJ Bolden has a chance to really help us out. He’s athletic, he’s intelligent. He comes from a really good high school program. He got 15 practices in spring, and he approaches every practice like a veteran.”
Smart also compared Bolden’s progression to a current Georgia star at the same position. “Where he is right now is probably ahead of where Malaki (Starks) was at that time, and Malaki was able to play as a freshman.” The comparison to Starks will undoubtedly build even more hype surrounding Bolden among the fans.
Bolden was a massive flip for the Bulldogs in the 2024 recruiting class after decommitting from Florida State to join them. He is competing for the starting safety spot opposite Malaki Starks with veteran Dan Jackson and junior JaCorey Thomas. His potential emergence became all the more important this week with the news of potential starter David Daniel-Sisavanh‘s departure from the team.