Alabama Game Week Scouting Report: Miami safety Bubba Bolden
Bubba Bolden is like his hometown Las Vegas, big and flashy.
After spending the 2017 season at USC, he found a home in Miami, and is now the leader of the Hurricanes' defense. He topped the team with 74.0 tackles last season, and his four forced fumbles led the ACC.
Bolden also had 6.5 tackles for loss, one sack and one interception en route to being named a second-team All-ACC selection and Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist.
Bubba Bolden
Jersey number: 21
Position: Safety
Height: 6-2.4
Weight: 202
DOB: 5/28/99
Draft eligible: 2022
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
High School: Bishop Gorman
Pros
Long safety who is deployed in deep zones with half field and single high as well as the occasional off-man alignment over the slot. Bolden possesses very good hip fluidity in space which is impressive for a player of his size. His great lateral agility allows him to cut off routes. Bolden recovers quickly after getting beat, speaking to his agility. In two high, he has very good eyes, reading inside out reliably. Playing instinctually, his trigger is very quick allowing him to be a playmaker breaking on routes from depth. Bolden fills without hesitation and attempts to punch the ball out from ball carriers. His size and athleticism allow him to match up with tight ends in man. He communicates pre and post-snap, displaying good leadership.
Cons
Bad angles from depth cause Bolden to frequently miss tackles. Shifty runners are able to make him miss in space. Not hitting behind his pads and coming in low leads to him falling off of rushers. He has not shown the ability to shed blocks. Against verticals, Bolden stays square for too long, letting receivers blow by. His range is not long enough to play and succeed in single high as verticals get behind him. Bolden’s aggressiveness can lead him to arrive early and get flagged.
Summary
Lanky safety with very good athleticism and fluidity to be deployed in deep zones. Bolden is very aggressive and instinctual from depth, breaking on passes and making plays on the ball. He takes bad angles in the run game and is a very unreliable tackler. Bolden projects as a future NFL starter at the safety position who can be a playmaker in cover two, robbing the middle of the field and in man coverage on tight ends. He has to improve his tackling to make an impact on special teams early on in his career.
Grades
7.3 (current value)/ 8.6 (potential value)
BamaCentral Analysis
One thing that we learned about Miami coach Manny Diaz from his season as Mississippi State's defensive coordinator in 2010 and 2015 is that he likes to attack and bring pressure. That fits well with Bolden, who isn't afraid to take some chances, although against Alabama that may not be the wisest course of action. The Hurricanes don't appear to have a standout among the defensive front seven, so look for the coaches to big-time rotate and try and confuse first-time starter Bryce Young. Miami does have some playmakers on the back end, but has to do better playing as a unit, avoiding breakdowns and being consistent. Look for new Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien to mix things up to test that to the extreme.
Crimson Tide Scouting Report features prospects for the 2022 NFL Draft, with evaluations by NFL Draft Bible and analysis by BamaCentral. Check out his profile on NFL Draft Bible.
University of Miami
