Notre Dame Signs Cornerback Micah Bell

Notre Dame has signed cornerback Micah Bell, one of the nation's best players

Notre Dame has officially signed cornerback Micah Bell! The Irish want to get faster, and it's hard to do better than Bell, who is truly one of the nation's fastest players on the field and one of the fastest sprinters in the country on the track.

Hometown/High School: Houston, Texas / Kinkaid School
Height/Weight: 5-11, 165

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 100 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 5.0

Recruited By: Mike Mickens

Offers: Notre Dame, Georgia, Texas, Michigan, Florida, LSU, Oregon, Tennessee, Nebraska, Arkansas, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Minnesota, Baylor, Stanford, TCU, Purdue, Mississippi State, Louisville, Duke, Vanderbilt, Colorado, Kansas, Harvard

2022 Stats: 236 carries, 1,395 yards, 5.9 YPC, 15 TD
2021 Stats: 134 carries, 1,118 yards, 8.3 YPC, 9 TD

Honors: 2023 Polynesian Bowl All-Star, Adidas All American selection

Player Comp: Jaire Alexander, Louisville

RECRUITING RANKINGS

SI99: No. 89 overall - No. 6 CB
ESPN: 4-star - No. 109 overall - No. 6 CB
Rivals: 4-star - No. 141 overall - No. 3 ATH
247Sports: 4-star - No. 145 overall - No. 14 CB
Composite: 4-star - No. 160 overall - No. 18 CB

NOTRE DAME FIT

Bell is a true speed player as both a running back and cornerback. You're recruiting him first and foremost because he's a truly special speed player, with elite explosiveness and the kind of closing ability you cannot teach, and rarely find. Bell has the tools to be a pure cover player at the next level, which is a great fit into the Notre Dame defense. He's not quite big and strong enough to play in the boundary, but his field projection is elite. 

Bell is exceptionally rangy, he's a surprisingly good tackler for his size and he has the speed to line up and stick to wideouts on the outside to the field side and in the slot. Think of TaRiq Bracy with even better speed, a better frame, more length and a more natural skillset on defense.

BREAKING DOWN BELL

Bryan Driskell, Publisher: "There is no question that Bell's best asset is his speed. He has truly game changing speed at the prep level, posting a best 100-meter dash time of 10.41 and a best 200-meter dash time of 20.89. That's truly elite speed, and the best part is Bell translates that speed onto the field. You can see his speed show up at cornerback, running back and the return game. Bell has easy speed, which means he's not a high effort mover in order to play fast. He's a smooth runner that can accelerate immediately, shows a great second gear and as a defender he has special closing speed. On defense, Bell shows the ability to easily flip his hips at times, so you know he can do it, but there are some technical aspects that need to be cleaned up."

Ryan Roberts, Director of Recruiting: “Bell is arguably the fastest player in the 2023 recruiting class. Playing mostly running back for Kinkaid, his all-around athletic skill set is on display on a week to week basis. He is easily able to turn and run with the best of them, showcasing smooth hips on top of that dynamic deep speed. As Bell continues to fill out and get stronger, he has the upside of being a tremendous cover player on the next level.”

John Garcia Jr: "Classic corner build with old-school cornerback speed and explosiveness, evident on offense and in return game in addition to on defense on Friday nights. Lines up across secondary on defense with flashes against the pass in particular. Works well when ball is in air with closing speed and enough ball skills to work on the island. Willing to take chances, can rely on speed at times. Technique needs broadening, particularly in the pedal and at the line of scrimmage, but physical traits to project as eventual shutdown cornerback scream on tape."

Kinkaid Head Coach Nathan Larned: "Bell works so hard and comes from a great family. He is the kind of football player who can do anything on a football field. Get the ball in his hands and just watch. His athletic ability isn’t even the most impressive part of his game. The work ethic is absolutely special.” 

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Irish Breakdown Content

Notre Dame 2022 Roster
Notre Dame 2022 Schedule

Notre Dame 2023 Scholarship Offers
Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers

Ranking The 2022 Signees - Offense
Ranking The 2022 Signees - Defense

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