Wisconsin DE/LB Graduate Transfer Christian Bell Commits To Illinois

Illinois received the verbal commitment of Wisconsin pass rusher Christian Bell for his final year of college football.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois has received a verbal commitment from a graduate transfer pass rusher from a Big Ten Conference power.

Christian Bell, a 6-foot-4 and 249-pound defensive lineman/linebacker hybrid announced via Twitter Tuesday afternoon that he was giving his verbal pledge to spend his final year of college eligibility with the Illini program. In the 2019 season with the Badgers, Bell only appeared in seven games recording four tackles, three solo tackles and one sack.

Bell will be expected to take an open defensive line pass rusher spot left by the departures of Oluwole Betiku Jr. and Ayo Shogbonyo.

Illinois will be the third school in Bell’s college career after he Bell transferred from Alabama in 2016 after just one redshirt season in Tuscaloosa. Bell finished his career in Wisconsin appearing in 24 career games with eight tackles, six solo tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble, and one pass breakup.

Before arriving at Alabama, Bell was a four-star prospect by ESPN.com and a three-star recruit by 247Sports.com and Rivals.com after winning three straight state championships at Hoover (Ala.) High School. Bell finished his senior season of high school with 40 total tackles, five tackles for loss, four sacks and seven quarterback hurries. Bell was part of nine team state championships at Hoover in football (three), outdoor track (three), indoor track (two) and one in basketball.

Bell is the first of what Illini head coach Lovie Smith’s staff is hoping is several transfer prospects to commit to the Illinois program.

“Sometimes it is good for people. Divorce is good, I make that statement sometimes," Smith said. "We had an opportunity here and every one of those young men talk about, there is something special we saw about them and build that role, just being a good teammate.”