Elite JUCO OT Markel Bell commits to Miami

JUCO offensive tackle Markel Bell of Cleveland (MS) Holmes C.C. announced his commitment to Miami Friday evening. 

The 6-foot-8, 335 pounder chose the Hurricanes over Ole Miss, Auburn, and Arkansas.

“It was just the staff recruiting mr from the time they offered until now,” Bell said. “I’ve seen what coach Cristobal and Mirabal can do with guys in terms of getting them to the next level.”

His relationship with the coaching staff and their plan for him played a role in his decision as well.

“I’m really close with Coach Woodiel, Cristobal,and Mirabal. Basically the offensive staff, but I’ve sat down with all three and they’ve all said that I would be a day 1 guy and would come in and compete for the left tackle position.”

The Magnolia State offensive tackle joins coach Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes’ top 15 class in the 2024 team rankings. He is accompanied by four-star athlete Joshisa Trader, four-star EDGE Marquise Lightfoot, and others.

Markel Bell Recruiting Profile

Bell ranks as the No. 16 player in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He also tabs in as the No. 2 offensive tackle and the No. 7 player in Mississippi.

He currently does not have an On3 NIL Valuation publicly listed. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.