After attending St. Mary's Preparatory School in Orchard Lake, Michigan, he played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions from 2010 to 2011.

[2] After arriving on campus in June, Bolden beat out two sophomores, Kevin Newsome and Matt McGloin, and another highly recruited freshman, Paul Jones, to win the starting quarterback job for the first game of the 2010 season against Youngstown State.

[3] Bolden was also the first true freshman quarterback at Penn State to start the season since Shorty Miller in 1910.

[4] On his decision to name Bolden as the starting quarterback, Paterno said, "He has got an arm, he's got a little poise, he did some things a little better than the other guys on more occasions.

"[5] Bolden played his first collegiate football game on September 4, 2010, for the Nittany Lions in the season opener against Youngstown State.

[9] On January 2, 2012, Bolden started in the place of McGloin, who had been injured in a locker room fight with teammate Curtis Drake, in the TicketCity Bowl against Houston.

In the first depth chart released by new head coach Bill O'Brien after spring practices, Bolden was listed as the third-string quarterback, behind McGloin and Jones.

[11] Bolden did not see the field during the 2013 season and was even changed to a wide receiver in the spring of 2014 before he transferred to Eastern Michigan to finish his college career close to home.