After a recruitment that took twists and turns down the stretch, Ok.J. Bolden determined to remain in-state and flip to Georgia. This, regardless of what he stated, was an enormous NIL provide from one other program.
A suggestion that has been reported at $3 million yearly.
A five-star security for Buford (Buford, Georgia), Bolden is a consensus top-five participant within the nation. Dedicated to Florida State since this previous August, he flipped to Georgia on the primary day of the early signing interval in December. Bolden is ready to play this Saturday on the All-American Bowl on the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas (1:00 PM ET, NBC).
He signed with Georgia, regardless of the provide from one other program that will have netted him multi-million {dollars} had he flipped.
“This college simply talked about all of the bread they’d,” Bolden advised USA TODAY Excessive Faculty Sports activities on Wednesday following apply for the All-American Bowl.
“It wasn’t a kind of prime colleges. It was undoubtedly an excellent college, an excellent program. Nevertheless it was simply loopy how they simply threw that out like ‘Hey, man, like, I do know some quarterbacks who aren’t getting that so you might be telling me I’m getting that? ‘ That’s loopy.”
The varsity and the reported $3 million provide did give Bolden some pause. The standout security properly gained’t reveal the title of the college.
He did say that the provide got here in three weeks earlier than he signed for Georgia.
“I imply, at first whenever you first hear you’re gonna be like, ‘Oh, that’s some huge cash.’ And then you definately bought to consider like, ‘Alright, cool, does this place match me? Like how do I like being up there?’ However you bought to consider the opposite stuff,” Bolden stated.
“I have to me prefer it’s a few colleges that had me right down to the wire however to me, it was nearly being the place you are feeling probably the most comfy. The cash is sweet to have as a result of the cash is sweet. However on the finish of the day, it’s short-term cash, The massive cash is within the NFL.”
On the time of his resolution, his remaining three colleges have been “Auburn, Florida State and Georgia.”
Georgia in the long run gained out, flipping Bolden. He stated that the connection constructed with head coach Kirby Sensible helped land him in-state.
“Simply being from Georgia, being half-hour from Athens. Coach Kirby, he got here and talked with my household,” Bolden stated.
“The house go to went nice. I really feel like that’s what did it. He simply got here on the market and interacted with my mother within the residence go to, my dad – was so good. I really feel like that’s what did it for positive.”
Saying that “iron undoubtedly sharpens iron,” Bolden stated that the week of apply main as much as Saturday’s All-American Bowl has pushed him. The bowl recreation has a loaded roster and can function a standard East-West format this 12 months.
“It’s been a terrific expertise simply can’t get coached by one of the best. The very best…and (been) going in opposition to one of the best this week,” Bolden stated.
“So it’s actually a terrific expertise. I used to be each child, each soccer participant may expertise expertise (this) as a result of it’s simply nice. It’s only a nice – nice vibes.”
Alumni of the All-American Bowl, first performed in 1996, consists of the likes of Odell Beckham Jr., Brock Bowers, Sharrif Floyd, Andrew Luck, Nick Mangold, DeMarco Murray, Adrian Peterson, Tim Tebow, Joe Thomas and Chase Younger amongst others.