KJ Bolden had heard the whispers by Aug. 19, 2022. A budding prospect at Buford (Ga.) High, Bolden welcomed powerhouse Thompson High for a star-studded first game of the season.

Peter Woods was starting his senior year, as was Bolden’s teammate Justice Haynes. Yet, Bolden saw some social media chatter that said he was one of the more over-rated 2024 recruits and quickly vowed to prove otherwise. On Buford’s first possession, Bolden noticed a Thompson safety’s coverage pattern pre-snap and called it out. While the defender tried to adjust, Bolden sprinted to an open crease down the sideline and went into the endzone untouched.

“I got two more in me,” Bolden yelled while celebrating with teammates.

Skip ahead to this spring — Bolden’s now rated as a five-star and No. 4 player on the 247Sports Composite — Bolden has got two more spring trips in him as one of the country’s best prospects begins to seriously consider his college options. Bolden was at Florida State on Monday, stopped by Alabama on Wednesday, is with the home-state Georgia Bulldogs today and will end the week with an appearance on the Plains for Auburn’s A-Day.

He’s listed at 6-foot, 185-pounds and will likely play in the secondary at college, either as a cornerback or safety. Bolden is a pure athlete, also competing in relay races and the long jump. He caught a team-high 23 passes for 422 yards in Buford’s run-first offense as a junior while also making 43 tackles. It’s not hard to imagine Bolden as a typical Nick Saban defensive back. Bolden even met former Tide star and NFL All-Pro Patrick Surtain II during Bolden’s mid-week trip, per Bolden’s Instagram.

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Bolden has one official visit set for Ohio State in June. He’s frequented Kirby Smart’s program throughout his career. Both OSU and Georgia have shown heavy interest in Bolden, along with the Crimson Tide dating back to last summer. Georgia is trying to retain some of its top recruits and keep them away from Tuscaloosa, which it failed to do last cycle. Along with teammate Eddrick Houston, the No. 2 defensive lineman in his class, multiple trips are likely being scheduled this fall to Buford.

Bolden cut down his list to 15 schools in January and didn’t include Auburn. Yet, this week’s trip is his second in the last two months is a promising sign for first-year head coach Hugh Freeze, who’s trying to prove Auburn can compete and win against premier programs for the best talent.

Bolden is also expected to visit USC, Oregon and other schools before likely trimming his list down in the summer. His other finalists were Tennessee, LSU, Michigan, South Carolina, Clemson, Ole Miss, Michigan State, Colorado and Oklahoma.

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].