Top RB prospect LaMarcus Bell of Lake Oswego (Oregon) is ‘bigger and more explosive’ in 2024

Oregon State is among the college programs recruiting the standout junior

LaMarcus Bell of Lake Oswego is Oregon’s No. 4 prospect in the 247Sports class of 2026 rankings. / Photo by Leon Neuschwander

LaMarcus Bell entered the 2024 football season with lofty expectations internally and externally. 

After running for 1,116 yards and 11 touchdowns while splitting carries with Zavier Russell as a sophomore, Bell was set to be the bell cow for Lake Oswego this fall. Was the 5-foot-11, 190-pound tailback ready to carry the mantle for a Three Rivers League title hopeful?

Through three games, the answer is a resounding yes. 

Bell needed just 33 carries to amass 436 rushing yards and six touchdowns during the Lakers’ 3-0 start. He also has been a factor as a blocker and pass-catcher out of the backfield and starts at safety on the other side of the ball. 

“I just feel like I’m a dynamic player,” Bell said last week after Lake Oswego’s 42-13 road win over Silverton. The Lakers close nonconference play Friday with a home game against Newberg before playing host to Tualatin next week to open the TRL season.

“I feel like I can run, I can catch, I can block. I think I can do it all.”

LaMarcus Bell has six touchdowns in Lake Oswego's first three games — all wins. / Photo by Leon Neuschwander

The Lakers used a thunder-and-lightning backfield approach last season with Bell and the 210-pound Russell. Bell, who didn’t fumble once while topping the 1,000-yard mark, was voted first-team all-TRL while Russell made the second team. 

Lake Oswego coach Steve Coury said Bell put on nearly 25 pounds of muscle in the offseason to get to his current weight.

“And it’s all good weight,” Coury said. “He’s just gotten bigger and more explosive. He’s only 16, so he’s a really young kid, but he’s gotten a lot bigger and is a different runner.” 

Bell credited Lake Oswego physical preparation/strength coach Mark McLaughlin for his transformation as an athlete. 

To go with his extra weight, Bell also is faster this season. He topped out at 11.23 seconds in the 100 meters last spring and is hoping to hit 10.9 as a junior. 

“The main thing for me was working on speed all offseason with Mark,” Bell said. “He’s helped me a lot and really our whole team in general. I think as a team we feel very explosive with our speed.” 

Bell’s special combination of size and athleticism has attracted the attention of college coaches. 

In January, Bell received his first Division I offer from Nevada. Oregon State and Washington State were next. 

“It was such a great feeling,” Bell said of the early offers. “I think I cried when I got the first one. I was just amazed; I couldn’t believe it. Like, I had a feeling something was going to come up just from my confidence and knowing what I can do. But when it actually did, that was amazing.” 

Lake Oswego has churned out numerous star running backs over the years, including two-time state player of the year Casey Filkins, who led the Lakers to the 2018 Class 6A title and played at Stanford. 

Coury said Bell, Oregon’s No. 4 prospect in the 247Sports class of 2026 rankings, has the tools to be an all-time Lakers great. 

“We’ve had some really good backs, we really have, and he’s one of them,” Coury said. “That’s probably the easiest way to compare him to the others. And a lot is still to come.

“He’s such a powerful runner. He’s one of those guys where if you’ve got an arm on him, he’s going to break that tackle.”

LaMarcus Bell has offers from Nevada, Oregon State and Washington State. / Photo by Leon Neuschwander

While Bell is proud of his early-season production, he’s quick to give credit to his supporting cast. 

Center Noah Uecker, guards Amin Alshaati, Jagar Shean and Adam Williams, tackles Jackson Graetz and Jaden Moore and tight end Ethan Uecker have been dominant run-blockers for the Lakers. When Bell needed a break against Silverton, backup running back Justin Craigwell stepped in and ran for 71 yards and two touchdowns. 

“It’s a team effort,” Bell said. “Justin is really helpful and has put us in great situations when I’m tired. He’s really helped us out a lot.” 

Entering Week 4, Lake Oswego boasts the second-best scoring offense in 6A at 41 points per game. The Lakers also have been stingy defensively, holding opponents to 11 per game. 

Coming off a first-round postseason exit last fall, Coury said he’s been impressed by the culture of the 2024 Lakers.

“I love the respect and love they have for each other,” he said. “We have good enough kids for them to be a good football team, and they are young enough and inexperienced enough to keep getting better.”

Bell said the team’s goal is a state title. 

“This is the most amazing team I’ve ever played on,” he said. “I love this team. Our goal is to win state, and I feel like we have the team to do it.”

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