Talented defensive back Isaiah Bolden commits to Florida State football

2018 defensive back Isaiah Bolden from Bartram Trail (Fl.) announced his commitment to Florida State Tuesday. The 6'1 170 lb. four-star recruit is ranked the number 135th player in the nation and 15th amongst cornerbacks by 247 Sports. There had been interest from all over the country, with Bolden holding a total of 25 offers before narrowing his list to 10 a few weeks ago. In that top 10 list, the 'Noles beat out UNC, Miami, Auburn, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, USF, Michigan, Florida and Georgia.

Odell Haggins, associate head coach and defensive tackles coach, led the swift recruitment process. Haggins first visited the prospect and extended an offer in May of 2016 before attending Bartram Trail's spring game later that month. Bolden has been to campus once before on an unofficial visit he took less than two weeks after receiving his scholarship offer.

"I felt at home at Florida State!," Bolden said. "The coaches and facilities are top notch and the campus is awesome. I had a great talk with Coach Fisher when I visited and felt that he would utilize my talents as both a kick returner and DB and that was important to me. At the end of the day this was the right time for me because I know in my heart I want to be a Nole so now I can relax and enjoy playing high school football and becoming the best student athlete I can be."

During his sophomore season, the cornerback intercepted one pass and had two defensive touchdowns while recording 15 tackles. Aside from defensive back, Bolden also returns both kickoffs and punts for the Bears, averaging 29.4 yards per kickoff return and has a season long punt return of 77 yards. In the second round of the 2015 playoffs, the newest Seminole had a game clinching 108-yard interception return for a touchdown.

In an interview with the St. Augustine Record, Bartram Trail head coach Darrell Sutherland spoke very highly of his player, praising the young athlete saying, "Isaiah understands what is in front of him. He's gifted in terms of his speed and athleticism, but he also understands spacing and the concept of what's being set up in front of him."

Bolden is the third overall commit to the 2018 Florida State recruiting class, joining running backs James Cook and Charles Strong. Following the commitment, the Seminole's 2018 class is ranked inside the top 10 nationally as it continues to look for another top 5 finish.