University of Georgia Athletics
Bolden Credits Starks For Giving Him ‘Blueprint’
November 14, 2025 | Football, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
KJ Bolden is quick to credit former teammate Malaki Starks for helping him become the player he is this season. The sophomore safety for fifth-ranked Georgia learned a lot last season playing with Starks, a two-time All-American and an NFL first-round draft pick.
"He taught me everything I really need to know," Bolden said of Starks, who started for three seasons in the Bulldog secondary and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the 27th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
That education has continued.
"He still texts me to this day before every game, just telling me to relax and just focus, telling me, 'You're built for this." Just being able to watch him do it for a year, it definitely gave me a good blueprint for what to do moving forward," Bolden said.
Heading into Saturday night's big game against No. 10 Texas at Sanford Stadium, the 6-foot and 195-pound Bolden is third on the team with 47 tackles and had an interception in the overtime win at Tennessee. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said Bolden has emerged as a leader in the secondary this season.
"His biggest growth this year is in being in a room where he has to step up to the forefront and be a leader and communicate more. Where he relied on other guys to communicate in the past, he is the lead communicator on the back end now. And he's done a nice job of that," Smart said Monday.
From last season to this season, Bolden said, his biggest areas of improvement are the communication that Smart spoke about and his ability to recognize plays when the offense gets in formation.
"I say play recognition because I'm starting to see, I'm starting to see what to look at more. You can tell if it's run or pass or what kind of concept they're running," Bolden said. "I just see things a little bit different now, things I didn't see freshman year."
And when he was in the secondary last season, Bolden said he wasn't helping get those around him lined up correctly. Now, "I kind of added that to my game a little bit, communication-wise, just trying to help the whole defense get lined up and not just focusing on myself."
Since Bolden got to Georgia as a five-star recruit out of powerhouse Buford (Ga.) High School, where he won a state championship as a sophomore, he has been an impact player in the Bulldog secondary.
"That dude's a firecracker," Georgia tight end Oscar Delp said, "and he's all over the field. He's making big hits and big plays. He's a really smart player, and he knows how to rally those guys on defense. I'm super blessed to have him as one of our safeties back there."
As a freshman last fall, Bolden started two games, played in all 14, and finished fifth on the team with 59 tackles. He also got the first interception of his career against Mississippi State. Bolden made the SEC All-Freshman Team and was named to several Freshman All-America squads.
Back at Buford High School, Bolden was a standout receiver as well as a safety. He caught 30 passes for a team-high 663 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior, and for a time, Bolden thought he might have a future on offense.
"I definitely wanted to play receiver in college — that was my main focus," he said. "The school I went to, it was kind of a defensive school, and we didn't really throw the ball a lot, so it kind of made me change my focus to defense."
When asked to name his best moment ever on a football field, Bolden said last season's SEC Championship Game was at the top of the list. He had five tackles, including one for loss, in the Bulldogs' overtime win over the Longhorns. That tackle for a 1-yard loss came on Texas' third-and-10 at the Georgia 14-yard line in overtime, forcing the Longhorns to kick a field goal. The Bulldogs scored a touchdown on the ensuing possession to win the title.
"Making a big-time stop in overtime and then the offense gets the ball and they score to win it all, that was a special moment," he said. "I was so happy and excited that day."
Bolden has made plenty more big plays already this season, with, no doubt, a lot more to come.
Staff Writer
KJ Bolden is quick to credit former teammate Malaki Starks for helping him become the player he is this season. The sophomore safety for fifth-ranked Georgia learned a lot last season playing with Starks, a two-time All-American and an NFL first-round draft pick.
"He taught me everything I really need to know," Bolden said of Starks, who started for three seasons in the Bulldog secondary and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the 27th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
That education has continued.
"He still texts me to this day before every game, just telling me to relax and just focus, telling me, 'You're built for this." Just being able to watch him do it for a year, it definitely gave me a good blueprint for what to do moving forward," Bolden said.
Heading into Saturday night's big game against No. 10 Texas at Sanford Stadium, the 6-foot and 195-pound Bolden is third on the team with 47 tackles and had an interception in the overtime win at Tennessee. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said Bolden has emerged as a leader in the secondary this season.
"His biggest growth this year is in being in a room where he has to step up to the forefront and be a leader and communicate more. Where he relied on other guys to communicate in the past, he is the lead communicator on the back end now. And he's done a nice job of that," Smart said Monday.
From last season to this season, Bolden said, his biggest areas of improvement are the communication that Smart spoke about and his ability to recognize plays when the offense gets in formation.
"I say play recognition because I'm starting to see, I'm starting to see what to look at more. You can tell if it's run or pass or what kind of concept they're running," Bolden said. "I just see things a little bit different now, things I didn't see freshman year."
And when he was in the secondary last season, Bolden said he wasn't helping get those around him lined up correctly. Now, "I kind of added that to my game a little bit, communication-wise, just trying to help the whole defense get lined up and not just focusing on myself."
Since Bolden got to Georgia as a five-star recruit out of powerhouse Buford (Ga.) High School, where he won a state championship as a sophomore, he has been an impact player in the Bulldog secondary.
"That dude's a firecracker," Georgia tight end Oscar Delp said, "and he's all over the field. He's making big hits and big plays. He's a really smart player, and he knows how to rally those guys on defense. I'm super blessed to have him as one of our safeties back there."
As a freshman last fall, Bolden started two games, played in all 14, and finished fifth on the team with 59 tackles. He also got the first interception of his career against Mississippi State. Bolden made the SEC All-Freshman Team and was named to several Freshman All-America squads.
Back at Buford High School, Bolden was a standout receiver as well as a safety. He caught 30 passes for a team-high 663 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior, and for a time, Bolden thought he might have a future on offense.
"I definitely wanted to play receiver in college — that was my main focus," he said. "The school I went to, it was kind of a defensive school, and we didn't really throw the ball a lot, so it kind of made me change my focus to defense."
When asked to name his best moment ever on a football field, Bolden said last season's SEC Championship Game was at the top of the list. He had five tackles, including one for loss, in the Bulldogs' overtime win over the Longhorns. That tackle for a 1-yard loss came on Texas' third-and-10 at the Georgia 14-yard line in overtime, forcing the Longhorns to kick a field goal. The Bulldogs scored a touchdown on the ensuing possession to win the title.
"Making a big-time stop in overtime and then the offense gets the ball and they score to win it all, that was a special moment," he said. "I was so happy and excited that day."
Bolden has made plenty more big plays already this season, with, no doubt, a lot more to come.
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.
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