Notre Dame cornerback Micah Bell enters NCAA Transfer Portal
Notre Dame sophomore cornerback Micah Bell has elected to enter the transfer portal, he announced on social media early Tuesday afternoon. Bell has four years of eligibility remaining.
Bell played in three games as a freshman at Notre Dame, recording his first career tackle and making a tackle for loss in the Sun Bowl against Oregon State on Dec. 29. He also played in Week 1 against Tennessee State and Week 12 against Wake Forest.
“To Notre Dame nation: Thank you for taking me in as one of your own,” Bell said in a social media graphic. “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 [to] 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.
“After much thought and consideration, I have decided to enter my name into the transfer portal.”
Despite entering Notre Dame as a four-star prospect and top-300 player in the class of 2023, Bell was not going to play significant snaps in his second season. He struggled during spring practice at outside cornerback, even playing behind senior walk-on corner Marty Auer in the Blue-Gold Game.
At nickel back, where Bell played during his end-of-game snaps as a freshman, Notre Dame seemed to prefer sophomore linebacker Jaiden Ausberry by the end of spring ball. Ausberry began taking reps with the defensive backs and started in the slot for the Gold team in the spring game.
Bell was the No. 264 player and No. 32 cornerback in the 2023 On3 Industry Ranking out of Houston The Kinkaid School. The 5-foot-10, 177-pound player chose Notre Dame over Houston, Texas, Ole Miss and LSU, among others.
Known for his speed, Bell flashed at times during practice but never found his footing at a position in Notre Dame’s defensive backfield.
He is the third member of the 2023 signing class to leave the Irish, following wide receivers Braylon James (who transferred to TCU) Rico Flores Jr. (UCLA). Bell is also the third Notre Dame player to exit during or after spring practice, following graduate cornerback Clarence Lewis and junior punter Bryce McFerson.
After Bell’s departure, Notre Dame sits at 87 scholarship players. The Irish have to drop down to 85 by the start of the 2024 season, and the spring transfer portal window for undergraduate players closes April 30 (one week from Tuesday).
Bell’s exit leaves Notre Dame thin among scholarship players at cornerback. Juniors Benjamin Morrison and Jaden Mickey, sophomore Christian Gray and senior Chance Tucker are the only remaining ones on the spring roster. Freshmen Leonard Moore and Karson Hobbs will enroll in June.
The Irish hosted Rice transfer cornerback Tre’Shon Devones for a visit this past Thursday. Bell’s decision underscores the need for depth at the position in the transfer portal.
