Jaylen Bell Is An Impact Play Waiting To Happen

Corner Jaylen Bell is an early priority for South Carolina. While there are several question marks he must answer, Bell is one of the best defensive backs in the country.

Corner has become a top priority for South Carolina's coaching staff. They have identified targets in each prospective class, ensuring they get the top athletes in the country.

While he's only a high school sophomore, corner Jaylen Bell is on their shortlist. They love his competitive nature and cover skills despite his 150 lbs. frame. Many Power-5 programs want to see him add weight, but he's a surefire high-major prospect.

Bell is on many schools' radars but seems to be honing in on the southeast. He visited South Carolina over the weekend, seeing the Gamecocks dramatically upset Tennessee. Things are off to a hot start in his recruitment, but what does Bell bring to the field?

Elite Cover Skills

Bell was born to play corner. His older brother is the defensive backs coach at Akron, which shows when watching him. Bell is a technician that understands hand placement and how to win a route.

He does an excellent job of utilizing his hands early in routes while maintaining hip flexibility. Grayson High school asks him to play various coverages, and he passes each test with flying colors.

The Georgia native has impressive tracking skills and routinely makes remarkable plays on the ball. He can rip it away from a receiver or high-point it, and a big return generally follows.

Explosive Lower Body

The measurements could be better, but Bell compensates for that with solid positioning. His lower body is always in tune, ensuring he can break on the football and get himself in an optimal position.

His foot speed jumps off the screen. Bell can chop backward, unzip in space, and change direction seamlessly. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone with a more explosive backpedal.

Bell's fluidity connects all these parts, making him quite dangerous when receivers come back to the football. He identifies the comeback quickly and has the athleticism to get in frame.

Physicality

Again, Bell isn't the biggest man. Schools are concerned with his weight and hope he can put on more before the end of high school. However, he plays much bigger than his listed size.

High school defensive backs don't want to tackle, especially when they know they don't have to. Bell must play physically to make up for his size, which he regularly does.

He's a willing run defender with excellent form; he uses the same form every time he approaches the ball carrier. Furthermore, Bell hand fights during the development of a route, meaning he keeps the pressure on the receiver to fight back.

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