5-star safety KJ Bolden commits to Florida State over Ohio State

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Five-star safety KJ Bolden chose the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday night, as Ohio State suffered a tough loss on the recruiting trail.
Bolden is the seventh-ranked player in the country, per 247Sports’ composite rankings, and the No. 1 safety in the nation. He’s also the second-ranked player in the talent-rich state of Georgia.
The secondary target visited Ohio State on June 16, a week after his Georgia visit and a week before his Alabama visit. But it was Florida State that swooped in and snagged the commitment.
Has Ohio State’s starting 2023 defense already been revealed?
Ohio State’s 2024 recruiting class remains at 19 commitments and ranked second behind Georgia in the overall. The class got a big boost in July with the commitments of five-star defensive lineman Justin Scott from Chicago and four-star cornerback Aaron Scott from Springfield, but they’ll have to wait for more good news after Bolden decided to play his college ball elsewhere.
The class could still use help at safety, though, as there’s just one player (four-star Jaylen McClain) committed at the position right now. McClain the 261st-ranked player in the country.
It would’ve been a major, major win for the Buckeyes to snag Bolden out of the Peach State, but the Seminoles get a major win with his commitment. Now, Ohio State will look elsewhere for a second safety in the 2024 class.
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