2019 Recruiting Review: CB Myles Bell

UConn’s 57-7 season-ending loss to Temple in November rounded up one of the worst seasons in the school's football history. After that 1-11 campaign, Randy Edsall and his staff have been hitting the road working to recruit the kind of young men that help build the program that reached some successful milestones during his fist stint.

UConn signed 11 new commitments on December 19, which is the first step to filling in needs for next years football team and also years to come. They added nine today on National Signing Day to round out the class.

This is the first article in a series on the potential difference makers in the Class of 2019.

CB Myles Bell

The top-rated incoming freshman in that first wave of signees was 3-star Myles Bell, who is a 6’0’’ 165 lbs cornerback from storied powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

UConn Asst. HC/Running coach Terry Richardson is a Ft. Lauderdale native who recruits the area heavily. He was a part of Edsall’s staff during his first stint and was successful in bringing in a good amount of players from that area to Storrs.

Bell is a physical corner who reminds me a lot of former UConn CB and NFL player Darius Butler. Both come from the same Ft. Lauderdale area as Butler was a barely recruited player who went on to become a 2nd round NFL Draft pick in 2009 to the Patriots. Bell's skill set is a little more developed then Butler coming out of high school but Butler is a better overall athlete.

Bell’s cover ability jumps out on film, as he possesses good instincts, size and athleticism that you look for at the position. In high school he spent most of his time in press coverage getting physical with receivers, re-directing their routes, and making plays on the ball. Bell shows great awareness and does a good job of locating the ball when in the air. He will need add more weight to his thin frame so he can have the same physicality at the next level.

Bell should be able to come right in and complete right away for playing time and challenge incumbents Tahj Herring-Wilson (R-Jr.) and true sophomore Ryan Carroll.

Bell's father Grantis played wide receiver for West Virginia in the 1980s and had some stints in the NFL with the Washington Redskins and New York Jets. Bell ranks as one of their top recruits to commit to the Huskies in the past five years. He reportedly turned down offers from numerous Power-5 schools, including Nebraska, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Penn State, Mississippi State, West Virginia and more. Landing Bell was a huge pick-up for Edsall and his staff.