Michigan State OL Justin Bell Transfers to Virginia Tech

The redshirt freshman did not log any game action with the Spartans.

Nov 11, 2023; Chestnut Hill, Mass.; A Virginia Tech helmet rest on a table during the first half against Boston College. | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Virginia Tech football has gained another incoming commitment. Michigan State transfer Justin Bell, a 6-foot-6, 311-pound offensive lineman announced today on Twitter that he will be committing to the Hokies.

Bell, a rising redshirt freshman who did not log any game action in 2025 with the Spartans, will have four years of eligibility remaining.

Bell exited Dakota High School in Macomb, Michigan as a three-star prospect, per 247Sports. He was rated as the No. 84 offensive tackle in the Class of 2025 and came in as the 19th-rated player in the state of Michigan. On the 247Sports composite, Bell was rated as the No. 1,277 overall recruit in the class. According to his Michigan State profile, Bell aided his school en route a 10-2 record and the MHSAA Division 1 regional finals in 2024. Consequently, he was named to the Detroit Free Press All-East First Team, the All-Macomb County Team and the All-Macomb Area Conference Red Division team.

Bell did not see game action; however, according to his Michigan State profile, he earned MSU’s Scout Team Player of the Week award on a trio of occasions, coming for games against Iowa, Minnesota and Southern California.

Per 247Sports, Bell received 16 offers, seven of which were from Power Four schools. One was West Virginia, whose offensive line coach was Matt Moore. Moore now serves in the same position at Virginia Tech. Bell went to Virginia Tech on Saturday, Jan. 3 for an official visit.

Bell is the fourth player to officially confirm his transferring to Virginia Tech, joining defensive lineman Daniel Jenings (Penn State), tight end Matt Henderson (Penn State) and running back Bill Davis (Louisiana). Several outlets have reported that quarterback Ethan Grukemeyer is also set to transfer to Virginia Tech; however, Grunkemeyer has not released an official statement at the time of writing. 14 Virginia Tech players have announced that they will be returning, while 19 have announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal; offensive lineman Jahzari Priester was the most recent.

At the time of writing, there are now 18 offensive linemen on scholarship. Here’s the full list, now including Bell, organized by eligibility, then last name.

• Johnny Garrett (r-Sr.)
• Brody Meadows (r-Sr.)
• Layth Ghannam (r-Jr.)
• Hannes Hammer (r-Jr.)
• Kyle Altuner (r-So.)
• Lucas Austin (r-So.)
• Aidan Lynch (r-So.)
• Tommy Ricard (r-So.)
• Justin Bell (r-Fr.)
• Gavin Crawford (r-Fr.)
• Nathaniel Wright (r-Fr.)
• Marlen Bright (Fr.)
• Maddox Cochrane (Fr.)
• Benjamin Eziuka (Fr.)
• Roseby "Purgatory" Lubintus (Fr.)
• Tyrell Simpson (Fr.)
• Buddy Wegdam (Fr.)
• Thomas Wilder (Fr.)

Virginia Tech has eight months until its season kicks off on Sept. 5, 2026 as the Hokies take on VMI for the first time since 1984.