Name: Ronnie Bell
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 174 lbs.
High school: Kansas City (MO) Park Hill
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Bell was a senior in high school (LINK). He caught 89 passes for 1,605 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Bell was a very divisive signee back in February. He planned to play college basketball at Missouri State, and he had even signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Bears (you didn’t know Missouri State’s mascot, did you?). Then Michigan swooped in with an offer to play football, and that changed everything. The small-college basketball player was suddenly a big-time football recruit, and it’s not hard to see why based on his eye-popping numbers (89 receptions, 1605 yards, 21 TD; 15 carries, 163 yards, 1 TD).
Now Bell joins a roster that is loaded at wide receiver, at least according to the recruiting sites. Michigan brought in four freshmen in the 2017 class, and they have some leftover star power, too (Eddie McDoom, Kekoa Crawaford, etc.). That doesn’t even include Grant Perry, who is a multi-year starter in the slot. Playing time in 2018 is an uphill battle, and I think Bell will redshirt while looking to add size and strength.
Prediction: Redshirt
Hit the jump for some of Bell’s basketball highlights.
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First I have watched his tape and am pleasantly surprised. Better skill set than I expected. Does a nice job on the jump balls and is a very instinctive runner. Obviously does not have the measurables of the WR’s from the ‘17 class. But skilled receivers with a feel for the game can still do a lot of damage in college without the measurables, a la Gallon and Roundtree. Could envision him pushing for playing time at slot his 2nd year and beyond.
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He seemed to have a better future in basketball, at least for getting playing time.
Drake Harris had even bigger numbers in high school than Ronnie Bell. And I think Ronnie Bell is going to go down a similar path to Drake Harris—only with less playing time–at Michigan.
Michigan was the only program in the NCAA to offer him a scholarship to play football. And only one other school showed any kind of interest in him, until after Michigan offered him. After the Michigan offer some other school raised an eyebrow about him, but did nothing in follow-up. Kansas St was the other school to do some checking into him early, but offered no scholarship.
Then there’s talk he’s going to be used in special teams. But man, he is so skinny. If he has speed and moves like Anthony Carter, then ok. But I don’t think he does.
Pep Hamilton is the one that was high on him. But Jim Harbaugh had to agree to it. So Jim Harbaugh agreed to offer a scholarship to a player that has slim chance of ever playing–in order to open a relationship with the State of Missouri? That’s the only reason I can think of.
But it’s great for Ronnie Bell. Attend the University of Michigan on scholarship? Very good for his future.
I think he’s going to be a wasted scholarship, like Drake Harris. But hey, it happens. If I was handing out scholarships, maybe I would have a blemish here and there too.
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I don’t know if I agree with that. Harris had better numbers in one season, but I’m not sure if he did for his career. Bell played his senior year, while Harris did not due to that hamstring injury. I like Bell’s basketball background. He does a nice job of tracking the ball in the air, and he’s not as stiff as Harris was. We’ll see what happens…
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Drake Harris had a world of promise, but was prone to hamstring injuries.
I think Ronnie Bell will contribute at slot after a redshirt year.
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Ronnie Bell is supposed to be an Eddie McDoom type player. But after re-watching Eddie McDoom’s highlights, I can clearly see why no school, other than Michigan, offered a scholarship to Ronnie Bell. Eddie McDoom is a superior player to RonnieBell.
Eddie McDoom highlights: https://www.hudl.com/video/3/1841431/5721e8e14df6124b7034044c
With seeing the playing time McDoom is getting, it leads me to believe it is going to be very, very hard for Ronnie Bell to see playing time at a big program.
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Who said Bell is supposed to be like Eddie McDoom? I haven’t seen that. I don’t see Bell as a jet sweep threat or potentially dangerous kickoff returner in college. Bell is a guy who could be a punt returner, but he’s more of a Julian Edelman-style slot receiver, IMO.
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It’s been decided that Eddie McDoom is only going to be used in sweep plays?
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Seemingly.
Career All Purpose Statistics
Season GP RUSH RCV TOT AVG/G
2016 13 160 59 219 16.8
2017 12 43 81 124 10.3
Total 25 203 140 343 13.7
No returns.
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I’ve watched all the games. I have seen what he’s doe in games.
But I saw a video of Eddie McDoom say he has been getting more snaps in practice as a receiver, and not just in sweeps. So because of his experience it seemed he is going to be getting more passes this year than in the past.
But Thunder using the term “jet sweep” in talking about Eddie McDoom gives me the impression he knows some insider information about him that says he’s going to be used still as a jet sweep player. If that’s true, then I’m wrong about Eddie McDoom. And if it’s true, then I could believe he is one of the 3 players that have left the team, like was said could be possible by a moderator at MGoBlog.
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I’d love it if he turned out to be Edelman-like.
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Who wouldn’t.
But has a lot of work to get to that. And I’m not optimistic about him getting there.
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Kudos for having the gumption to look at the film … seriously.
Bell is pretty thin, but he’s far from frail looking. He has pretty good speed and excellent quickness. He can lay out for the ball in addition to go up and get it. He is way shifty, time and time again, he deliberately puts you on the wrong foot and then cuts away. He is way, way smart running behind blocking. Will make you commit to the side he doesn’t want and then accelerates away, from behind protection.
Hopefully, we all forget he exists for a couple years, then Thunder writes him up at about 82 when he shows up at 188 or so and he goes out and reels in 25/30 touches for 280/300 yards as a redshirt soph.
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Well thank you so much for your insightful posts 17years! If I were you I would walk right up to Jim Harbaugh and tell him like it is! I mean what a waste of a scholarship offer!!! What was he thinking taking a kid who had a fantastic senior season after having solid numbers over his high school career and taking a flyer on him after a year he took several very highly rated guys?!?
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I’m not a big fan of name-calling and such on the site, so I’m editing your post ever-so-slightly. Sarcasm is fine. Ad hominem attacks aren’t.
Thanks for reading!
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Actually, i’m thinking that DPJ is going to be the Jet Sweep guy this year. I can see him lining up inside now and again. I’d do it. that would cause enormous issues for a defense. Especially early in the season.
First of all, he can get to the corner in a hurry, so who do you put on him? Linebacker? He beats that guy to the corner, or blows past him down the seem. Nickel/Dime guy? That’s a size mismatch on plays where DPJ goes out and posts up, or blocks … assuming he blocks … both. I’d probably slide my outside coverage guy if I’ve had the opportunity to see it a couple times. Still, I think you could run some options off of who lines up on him, including RPO.
Although I do think MCDoom can play. We’ve seen him make at least one nice catch with a guy draped all over him. I’m not sure how good he might look in practice breaking out in a route against our corners tho.
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