Many freshman have been impressive for Georgia football this season, but there is one true freshman who arguably has been the best out of all freshman so far this season.
And that is defensive back KJ Bolden.
Bolden has been turning heads all season as he has already racked up 29 tackles (20 solo) which includes one sack. He also has one interception to his name already which occurred during the Bulldogs' win over Mississippi State.
Potentially his best game of the season however was this past weekend against Florida. Bolden was all over the field and recorded five tackles as well as one pass defense. His performance against the Gators was good enough to be named one of the top 10 true freshman of the week according to On3.
This however wasn't the only honor Bolden received this week.
KJ Bolden has been included as one of 14 semifinalists for the 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐧 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 Award
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) November 6, 2024
🔗: https://t.co/WcegOzPO5d#GoDawgs | @KhalilBolden2 pic.twitter.com/5dN5uPobg4
Semifinalist for Freshman of the Year
Bolden has officially been named one of 14 semifinalists for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award. This award, as one can probably assume, goes to the top freshman in the country at the end of the season.
Bolden was a five-star recruit out of high school in the 2024 class and the No. 1 safety in the country, so it really shouldn't be a surprise seeing him in the running for this award. But just because someone is a highly ranked recruit doesn't mean that they will perform in college, especially as a true freshman. So the year Bolden is having shouldn't be taken for granted, because it truly is one of the best freshman seasons in the country.
If Georgia is going to accomplish their goals and win a national championship, they are going to need a lot of help from Bolden. He has clearly been a major contributor so far this season, but the best part of all is that he is nowhere near the level of player that he can (and will) become in the future.