Mississippi State Transfer OL Leon Bell Commits to Cal

Cal adds a fourth offensive linemen from the transfer portal. Bell was removed from the Mississippi State roster this year

Offensive lineman Leon Bell / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Cal continued to add offensive linemen through the transfer portal on Tuesday, when Mississippi State offensive tackle transfer Leon Bell announced on social media that he has committed to Cal.

The 6-foot-8, 325-pound Bell chose Cal over offers from Louisville, Kansas and Illinois, among others.

He played the first two games of the 2024 season for Mississippi State, but was removed from the Bulldogs roster in mid-September. No reason for the removal was provided. He played in the 2024 opener off the bench against Eastern Kentucky, then made his first career start the following week against Arizona State. He was removed from the team during the week following that game. He was a redshirt junior in 2024. The Bulldogs finished with a 2-10 record in 2024.

Bell is from Alvin, Texas, and played at played at Kilgore Community College before moving on the Mississippi State. BYU and SMU were among the colleges that offered Bell, when he was a three-star prospect coming out of high school.

Bell becomes the fourth offensive lineman Cal has acquired through the transfer portal this month, joining Lamar Robinson (Georgia Tech), Tyson Ruffins (Nevada) and Lajuan Owens (New Mexico).

Cal is trying to rebuild its offensive line under new offensive line coach Famika Anae. Cal's running game was not effective in 2024, and the Bears allowed 49 sacks, among the most in the country.

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