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Impact Analysis: Trinity Bell

It’s long past saying Tennessee is hot on the recruiting trail. The Vols' recruiting pace for the last three weeks has caught the attention of the college football world.

Today, Jeremy Pruitt and the Vols continue to own the recruiting narrative as Alabama athlete Trinity Bell picked the Vols over Florida, Auburn and others. Bell is 24th commitment in the Vols class of 2021.

Here’s more on Bell’s commitment to the Vols…

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SCOUTING REPORT

“There’s not many guys like him that can say they have offers to play basketball, offers to play football and on the football side offers to play offense and defense. I think the thing about Trinity is where will he play at Tennessee. Is he an offensive guy? Is he a defensive guy? He has offers to play both.

When I look at him, look at his body, break down his film and have seen him in person a couple of times I think defense. I think he’s a guy that plays with his hand down. Can he catch passes? Can he run for his size? Absolutely. But he’s in that 255-260 range at 6-6. I think he could end up anywhere across the defensive line from strong side defensive end to interior defensive line. He will probably enter Tennessee at 265-270. Where will his body go? I think just naturally he outgrows the tight end position, but he’s a versatile athlete with good twitch for his size.

He’s a guy who loves basketball. If he takes that love and passion for basketball to the football field this could be a real find for Tennessee. They offered him first and landed him. I love his potential once he really takes his technique to the next level, buys in fundamentally and doesn’t just rely on his natural size and athleticism to win those one on one battles in the trenches. I think his versatility is what really intrigues me the most. You see the quickness off the ball as a defensive lineman. Could he become a big defensive tackle at 290-300 pounds? Could he be that guy sets the edge at defensive end? Could he be that tight end catching touchdown passes at Tennessee? That is what is going to be fun to watch going forward. A versatile, good take by Jeremy Pruitt and his staff.”

— Chad Simmons, Rivals analyst

HOW BELL FITS IN WITH THE VOLS?

At 6-7, 260 pounds, Bell fits in about wherever he wants to. Offensively, Bell could play tight end. Defensively, Bell could defensive end. In other words Bell is what several others are in the Vols second ranked class — a big, fast athlete who could help in multiple places.

Bell also continues Tennessee’s trend of going into other states and beating out the in-state schools. The Vols beat out Auburn for Bell who has 15 offers. Bell also has offers in basketball which shows what kind of athlete he is.

Head coach Jeremy Pruitt has wanted his roster bigger since his arrival. Pruitt and his staff have not been shy about taking big bodies who could play a variety of places like they did with R.J. Perry a year ago.

WHAT DOES BELL’S COMMITMENT MEAN FOR TENNESSEE?

Tennessee also continues to find real success in Alabama. A year ago the Vols signed two players from Alabama. In the class of 2021, the Vols now have six players from the yellowhammer state.

Pruitt and his coaching staff’s ties to Alabama has certainly paid off in the class of 2021 with the latest being arguably the best big body athlete in the state.

Where Bell fits in position wise might be an unknown, but his combination of size and athletic ability is exactly what Jeremy Pruitt has been talking about getting since the day he walked into his first team meeting and saw the undersized roster he inherited.

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