Notre Dame secures commitment from four-star cornerback Micah Bell

Notre Dame kept its big 2023 recruiting cycle going on Friday evening as Houston (Texas) Kinkaid four-star cornerback Micah Bell announced his commitment to play for Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish.

Bell had felt that South Bend would end up being his home, but it wasn't until his official visit that he knew it would be the place for him.

"It's similar to the school I'm at now, and the campus was really, really nice," Bell said. "It was way nicer than I thought. The coaches are cool, the players are cool. I just thought it was the best fit athletically and academically. I thought it was gonna challenge me the most."

Marcus Freeman played a big role in Bell choosing the Irish, as he believes in the first-year head coach to continue Notre Dame's success on the national level.

"He's one of the few Black head coaches, and I really like that," he said. "They have a lot of faith in him for him to even be in that position. His track record speaks for itself, they were like No. 5 last year. I believe in his vision, he will take Notre Dame to the College Football Playoff and win a national championship."

Bell is a player that can affect the game in all three phases, as he will arrive in South Bend as a corner with potential to see a lot of play in the return game, and even some occasional play on offense.

"They like to play a lot of guys who can come in and play early, which is something that I like," he said. "I'll just have to see when I get down there."

The academic factor was a big part of Bell's recruitment as Stanford and Texas were other schools he considered, but Notre Dame's plan for success outside of football is what stood out the most to the four-star.

"I just like how small the classes are, how engaged and helpful they said the professors would be," Bell said. "I like how you can choose your major and be really hands-on with it."

And as for what Notre Dame fans should be expecting from Bell?

"The best, nothing less," he said.

Bell's pledge is Notre Dame's 17th in the 2023 class and its third four-star prospect commitment from the state of Texas.

A speed threat on both sides of the ball for Kinkaid, Bell rushed for 1,118 yards and nine touchdowns on 8.3 yards per carry during his junior season in helping lead them to a private school state championship. On the track, Bell has blazing personal-bests of 10.45 in the 100-meter and 20.89 in the 200-meter.

At 5-foot-11, 165 pounds, Bell is the No. 114 ranked recruit in the country for the class of 2023, according to Rivals. He is the No. 16 ranked cornerback in the country and the No. 20 recruit from the state of Texas.