Notre Dame transfer DB Micah Bell commits to Vanderbilt

Former Notre Dame defensive Micah Bell has committed to Vanderbilt out of the NCAA transfer portal, he announced.

In his lone season at Notre Dame, Bell made three appearances and tallied one tackle, which was a tackle for loss. While he is listed as a defensive back, his announcement photo labels him as an ‘ATH’ or athlete, which means he could be both sides of the ball and even special teams.

He now enters the SEC, where his brother Dillon, is a wide receiver at Georgia. Dillon Bell played in all 14 games for the Bulldogs last season while making eight starts.

Before enrolling at Notre Dame last season, Micah Bell played high school football at The Kincaid School (TX), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 264 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services.

Upon leaving Notre Dame earlier this offseason, Bell penned a farewell message to the Fighting Irish fans, as well as his coaches and teammates.

“I want to thank God for all of the many blessings he has given me,” Bell wrote. “Without him nothing in my life would be possible. I am grateful to Coach Mickens, Coach Golden and Coach Freeman for recruiting me and giving me an opportunity to be a student and athlete at Notre Dame.

“I want to thank all of my teammates at Notre Dame. They have challenged me on and off the field and made me better as both a player and a person. To Notre Dame nation: Thank you for taking me in as one of your own. I enjoyed getting to wear the Gold helmet and have your support. I really enjoyed connecting with you before and after games- you are truly a special group of people! Last but not least, I want thank my family for helping me through this process. It is never easy to make life-changing decisions and I am grateful to have them by my side.”

While Bell wasn’t able to enjoy a spring semester in Nashville, he still has an entire summer to become accustomed to Clark Lea’s defense (or offense) moving into the regular season. Vanderbilt kicks off its 2024 college football season at home against Virginia Tech on Aug. 31.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.