Who cares if it was only the Marshall Thundering Herd? KJ Bolden was all over the field making things happen for the Georgia defense. It was the first game of his true sophomore season for the Dawgs, but it is starting to become obvious what type of player he is going to become starring Between the Hedges. Malaki Starks may be in his rookie year with the Baltimore Ravens, but he is Bolden's comp.
Bolden has already been entrusted to start at strong safety in Kirby Smart's defense. While there are many great teams across college football, it is hard to top the unit the Dawgs have in the back-end. Whether it be Bolden, Joenel Aguero, Daylen Everette or Daniel Harris, Georgia will shut down the opposition because of its elite secondary. Look for Ellis Robinson IV to shine in an expanded role, too.
Bolden had four tackles, a pass breakup and this unbelievable blocked punt for Georgia vs. Marshall.
#ForTheBrand @PatMcAfeeShow Sorry it gotta affect the punter - BUT KJ BOLDEN IS HELL pic.twitter.com/k7uvqIdMpE
— Beyond The Finish Line (@Bradley_Hinton) August 30, 2025
While it remains to be seen how good Georgia's defense does as a collective against the better offenses on its schedule, Glenn Schumann's unit played with poise and togetherness throughout the entire ball game. There are vulnerabilities within this Georgia team, but secondary play should be a season-long strength for this team. As long as Bolden and others continue to grow, they shall be elite.
Here is why Bolden and the entire secondary being dominant could help Georgia win another title.
KJ Bolden headlines the Georgia Bulldogs' loaded defensive backfield
Because Georgia is breaking in a new quarterback this season with Gunner Stockton, much of the variance with this team will largely be on the offensive side of the ball. For as strong as the tight end room has been for years, as well as this potentially being Georgia's best receiving corps in a decade, quarterback and offensive play will sink or swim this team. Can this team protect and run the football?
To help give the offense its best chance at long-term success, it starts with players like Bolden being impactful on just about every drive defensively. Forcing the opposition into third-and-long situations is not how anybody beats Georgia. Getting the ball back into Stockton's hands will help the Dawgs dominate in time of possession, en route to winning one game after another. This recipe does work.
Overall, Georgia is going to need a special player in all three levels of its defense to win another national championship. It is still so incredibly early in the season, but the Dawgs might have that in the dynamic trio of Christen Miller in the trenches, Bolden in the back-end, and CJ Allen in the middle of everything. Of course, Georgia needs other supporting players to complement their greatness, too.
At this time, Georgia has the early makings of championship-caliber defense that will feature Bolden.