NCAA Transfer Portal: Former Notre Dame cornerback Micah Bell announces commitment to SEC school
On April 23, cornerback Micah Bell announced on social media that he would be entering the NCAA Transfer Portal after one season in South Bend. And Sunday, he posted that he would be continuing his collegiate career with the Vanderbilt Commodores.
Bell picked former Irish defensive coordinator Clark Lea‘s program over USC and Houston. He had Vanderbilt as a finalist in his recruitment the first time around, as he greatly valued academics in his recruiting process.
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 when announced his transfer out. “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.
Going back to his high school career, Bell rushed 134 times for 1,118 yards with 9 touchdowns during his junior season in 2021, helping lead The Kinkaid School to a 9-2 record and a Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) championship. He also added 10 receptions for 72 yards. Defensively, he made 18 tackles (one for loss).
Bell was named the 2022 Texas Track & Field Private School Male Track Athlete of the Year. He set SPC records in the 100-meter race at 10.46 seconds and 200-meter race at 20.89 seconds.
