Journey to MSU Took Drastic Turns for CB Tre Bell

Tre Bell didn't even know what sport he was going to play for a while.

He shifted between basketball and football throughout high school. His collegiate career began at Lindenwood, a school that had just shifted to Division I. Bell was supposed to play both football and basketball, but decided during his freshman year, which he redshirted, that he'd just be focusing on the gridiron before he ever appeared for the basketball team.

April 9, 2026; East Lansing, Mich.; Michigan State cornerback Tre Bell speaks following a spring practice at the Skandalaris Football Center. | Jacob Cotsonika, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Bell was fortunate to be noticed by Lindenwood. Football wasn't really a focus until his junior year of high school, making him late to the recruitment party. He was partially noticed by the Lions in high school because Bell happened to be teammates with a four-star recruit, Ja'Marion Wayne, who started at Missouri and eventually transferred to Coastal Carolina.

Lindenwood happened to be watching from the stands that day and saw Bell get a pick-six. It was his only offer for football.

What Brought Bell to East Lansing

BYU Cougars wide receiver Parker Kingston (11) catches a pass for a touchdown as Iowa State Cyclones defensive back Tre Bell (7) during the fourth quarter at Jack Trice Stadium on Oct. 25, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Following three total years at Lindenwood, Bell was able to transfer up from the FCS to the Power Four level and join Iowa State. After starting out as a rotational piece in the Cyclones' secondary, Bell ended up starting ISU's final eight games.

According to PFF, Bell allowed completions on 62.7% of the time when targeted, being charged for 344 yards and two touchdowns. Bell had interceptions during games against Arkansas State and TCU.

Iowa State's cornerback coach Hank Poteat talks to media at the school football facility on Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK

But then Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell left Ames for the Penn State job. That put everything in flux. Michigan State and Pat Fitzgerald went and got ISU's cornerbacks coach, Hank Poteat, for the same position. Bell ended up following Poteat in the portal.

New Opportunities

"[He] called me when the portal opened, told me that he was taking the job here," Bell said. "He said he would love to have me rejoin him. All the things that he taught me last year, I just felt like there's too much that was still left to be done with him. So I felt, what better opportunity than to come here for my last year?"

There is a good chance Bell will be on opposite sides of the field from fellow corner Charles Brantley, who transferred back to MSU from Miami (FL) this past offseason. Defensive coordinator Joe Rossi was showing Bell clips of Brantley's play with the Spartans while Bell was visiting. Bell committed to Michigan State two days before Brantley, who many around the program call "Chuck," returned.

"Chuck, he's been great," Bell said. "He's kind of a character of his own. I've never met anybody that's like Chuck. He's awesome though."