Analysis: What the Versatile Trinity Bell Brings to the Vols
The top two position groups of need for Tennessee in the 2021 class are likely the defensive line and tight end. The Vols go into the fall of 2020 knowing that Emmit Gooden, Darrel Middleton, Aubrey Solomon, and Savion Williams are all seniors. At tight end, the Vols were thin production wise for the 2020 season with the graduation of now Seahawks tight end Dominick Wood-Anderson, and Austin Pope is a senior in 2020. The Vols have recruited players that can help both positions in the 2021 class, but the Tennessee coaching staff values versatility. This staff has pursued multiple recruits that could play different positions at the next level. That flexibility has helped the Vols’ staff fill their needs and get their best athletes on the field. Now, they go into Alabama and pull a versatile player that can help at both need positions in Albertville High School (Albertville, AL) product Trinity Bell.
Bell brings the Vols one of the most interesting physiques that they will pursue in this cycle. Bell is an imposing 6’7” tall and 255 pounds, and it is a lean 255. The three-star athlete has a straight-line speed that is surprising for his size. In high school, Bell has enough speed to line up as a wide receiver for Albertville, and to be effective doing it. He has good short area quickness, is fluid in his change of direction, and shows good burst on film as well. As if being 6’7” wasn’t enough, Bell is also a good leaper when he needs to high point a ball or try to knock a pass down. Bell is a smooth athlete, and an athlete that isn't often seen with his size. Bell is also a college caliber prospect as a basketball player. He may not play at the next level, but the talent and athleticism to do so is there.
On offense, Bell is a nightmare to cover. He can line up out to the boundary as a wide receiver, flexed out to the slot, or with his hand in the dirt as a traditional in-line tight end. Bell comes out of his stance quickly and is a smooth, long strider as he goes out on routes. If he winds up playing tight end for the Vols, Joe Osovet is going to want to expand his route tree, but the routes he does have are pretty good for a tight end prospect. Bell has the speed to be too much for most linebackers, and he is too big for most safeties and corners to deal with. Bell shows good, natural hands, catching the ball away from his body and pulling it in. He also shows good ball skills in going up for jump balls, locating the ball, snatching it out of the air, and having strong enough hands to pull it in. Bell shows the strength to run through defenders once he has the ball, a difficult player to bring down after the catch. That same strength shows up when he bodies out defenders to get position for a ball, just like fighting for a rebound. Bell has the ideal size Tennessee covets for a tight end, and he has the strength to be a factor as a blocker. He can play a bit high at times, but pad level is an issue for most prospects of his height. Still, he shows on film he can. Get the level he needs, and that he has the strength to be an effective run blocker or pass blocker if asked to stay in.
It feels like Bell is likely to end up playing tight end. His tape at the position is very good and he can be a matchup nightmare. His combination of size and athleticism make him a dangerous offensive weapon. However, his tape at defensive end might be even better. For Tennessee's 3-4 scheme, they would likely want to add some more weight to Bell's frame before putting him on the defensive line, but as he is now, he is an exceptional player on the edge. Bell has an explosion out of his stance that is difficult for tackles to deal with. He fires out and then has a full arsenal of tools to utilize as a pass rusher off his initial burst. He has the size and strength to bull rush, the speed to dip his inside shoulder and try to turn the corner, the long arms, strength, and change of direction to swim across a tackle's face and attack the inside gap, or anything in between. Bell's long arms and good use of his hands means he can get into the chests of tackles and that very few have a reach advantage against him. Bell runs well enough to stretch runs to the sideline and defend the edge. He is big and strong enough to stop a tackle on a run, especially a read option, and then shed the block to get in the gap he needs to attack. On film, Bell also shows the same burst to close down a runner that he shows coming out of his stance, a little something extra that he can pour on to close the gap to the ball carrier.
Whichever side of the ball he winds up on, Bell is an impact player. Because of what Tennessee's roster situation is, Bell is a player that could see early playing time as a freshman. The Vols will need depth and production at tight end, and Jim Chaney runs multiple double tight end formations. On defense, despite the talent Tennessee has added along the defensive line, there will be opportunities for Bell in the rotation with so many seniors leaving. Having Bell gives Jeremy Pruitt flexibility in his class, and allows him options when filling out the rest of the 2021 cycle, and his position could be impacted by how the rest of the class is finished. Either way, Tennessee secured another impact athlete over schools such as Auburn, Florida, Nebraska, and Kentucky to name a few.