University of Georgia Athletics
October 27, 2026 | Football
ATHENS, Ga. --- Bulldog junior safety KJ Bolden has been named one of 15 semifinalists for the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, according to an announcement by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and Jim Thorpe Association Tuesday.
Bolden, a native of Buford, Ga., is one of only three players from the Southeastern Conference on the list. He is the first Georgia semifinalist since current Baltimore Raven Malaki Starks was named a finalist for the 2024 award.
A game captain for the 2026 Bulldogs, Bolden is UGA's fifth-leading tackler with 22 stops, including 16 solo tackles. He has two tackles for loss, half of a sack and one interception that he returned 29 yards. Bolden has been a pivotal piece of Georgia's defensive backfield that has helped put the Bulldogs atop the SEC and 10thnationally in Rushing Defense (91.4 yds/game) and first in the league and 16th in the country in Scoring Defense (15.9 pts/game). Bolden started at safety during the team's 6-0 start and missed Georgia's 27-24 loss to Auburn because of an injury.
The No. 3 Bulldogs take on No. 17 Florida in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ABC will televise the annual neutral site matchup.
Bolden, a native of Buford, Ga., is one of only three players from the Southeastern Conference on the list. He is the first Georgia semifinalist since current Baltimore Raven Malaki Starks was named a finalist for the 2024 award.
A game captain for the 2026 Bulldogs, Bolden is UGA's fifth-leading tackler with 22 stops, including 16 solo tackles. He has two tackles for loss, half of a sack and one interception that he returned 29 yards. Bolden has been a pivotal piece of Georgia's defensive backfield that has helped put the Bulldogs atop the SEC and 10thnationally in Rushing Defense (91.4 yds/game) and first in the league and 16th in the country in Scoring Defense (15.9 pts/game). Bolden started at safety during the team's 6-0 start and missed Georgia's 27-24 loss to Auburn because of an injury.
The No. 3 Bulldogs take on No. 17 Florida in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ABC will televise the annual neutral site matchup.
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