Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1491978
42 MARCH 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2023 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY PATRICK ENGEL The best description of Micah Bell's fleetness of foot might be a Mickey Goldmill line from "Rocky II." Bell, as Rocky's trainer would say, has "greasy, fast speed." The four-star cornerback from The Kincaid School in Houston isn't just the presumed fastest player in Notre Dame's signing class. His straight-line speed might match anyone in the 2023 cycle. He's bringing it to South Bend in June. "The speed, that's hard to find," Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden said. "Really, really hard to find." Bell will arrive on campus as Notre Dame's fastest cornerback in recent memory, if measuring by 100-meter times. He blazed a 10.41 100-meter dash in March 2022, which is .06 sec- onds faster than former Irish corner- back Troy Pride Jr.'s time as a freshman on Notre Dame's track team in 2017. That's fast enough to run with most wide receivers in college football. "Some of his track times are freaky," head coach Marcus Freeman said. Speed is, of course, just one attri- bute of successful cornerback play. Bell might need more time to develop some of the others. Notre Dame listed him at 5-foot-10 and 162 pounds when he signed in December, a slender build for a corner. He was a running back, wide receiver, returner and cornerback in high school — a usage pattern designed to maximize his speed, but not the best one for refining his technique at one spot. Bell fits the "raw" label. But Notre Dame can coach fundamentals. Corner- backs coach Mike Mickens has proven to be one of the staff's stronger teachers. Strength coach Matt Balis and his staff can make someone stronger. No one, though, can make a player fast. Speed is innate. Bell possesses it in droves. Freeman acknowledges Bell's physi- cal gifts could fit somewhere other than cornerback and help on offense. The idea of him playing offense at Notre Dame is more theoretical than a con- crete plan right now, though. "He plays on both sides of the ball [in high school], makes big plays on both sides of the ball," Freeman said. "He could easily be on the offensive side of our team." The likely starting spot for Bell is cor- nerback, be it field corner or the slot. His best shot at Year 1 playing time might be on special teams, where Notre Dame is looking for a punt returner to replace the departed Brandon Joseph. That role would allow Notre Dame to get his speed on the field while still being patient with his development as a defensive player. "He could play corner, nickel, inside," Golden said. "I'm sure [special teams coordinator Brian Mason] is going to try to get him to return kicks and punts." ✦ Micah Bell Brings Elite Speed To Notre Dame Bell blazed a 10.41 100-meter dash in March 2022, which is .06 seconds faster than former Irish cor- nerback Troy Pride Jr.'s time as a freshman on Notre Dame's track team in 2017. PHOTO COURTESY BELL FAMILY MICAH BELL CORNERBACK 5-10 · 162 THE KINKAID SCHOOL HOUSTON RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — 65 93 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 109 5^ 18 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 6^ 43 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 237 27 43 ^ Ranked as an athlete STATISTICS • Ran 236 times for 1,385 yards and 15 touch- downs as a senior. • Rushed 134 times for 1,118 yards with 9 touch- downs during his junior season in 2021, helping lead The Kinkaid School to a 9-2 record and a South- west Preparatory Conference (SPC) championship. NOTABLE • 2023 All-American Bowl participant. • 2022 Texas Track & Field Private School Male Track Athlete of the Year. • Set SPC records in the 100-meter race at 10.41 seconds and 200-meter race at 20.89 seconds. • Owns a personal best 24 feet, 5¼ inches in the long jump. • Recorded a career-best 45 feet, 9½ inches in the triple jump. • His brother Dillon Bell plays receiver at Georgia. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on July 1, 2022. • Held offers from Texas, Ole Miss, LSU, Georgia and others. • Recruited by cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens. • Visited Notre Dame twice, including his official visit on June 17, 2022. 2023 PROJECTION • Bell is a candidate to break into the cornerback rotation this fall, but is more likely to redshirt. THEY SAID IT Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman: "Some of his track times are freaky. He is fast. He plays on both sides of the ball and makes big plays on both sides of the ball. He could easily be on the offensive side of our team. He is a really good football player." National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming: "A terrific cover corner, he is a quick-twitch athlete who loves to mix it up. He dominates in one-on- one matchups and insists on going up against the other team's top receiver. He plays with a lot of confidence and rightly so. "Another thing that impressed me about Micah is his ability to tackle. He will come up to stuff the run and is one of the more physical 160-pounders you will find."