Maryland added multifaceted defender Markquese Bell to its 2017 recruiting class after securing the commitment of the 4-star linebacker Sunday.
The player announced his decision during the Under Armour All-America Game, per Ryan Connors of Testudo Times.
According to Scout.com, Bell is the No. 19 safety and No. 201 player overall in the 2017 recruiting class.
Through his first three years of high school, the Bridgeton, New Jersey, native was a jack-of-all-trades, and in 2015, he emerged as a genuine threat in the passing game, catching 52 passes for 792 yards and 11 touchdowns, per MaxPreps. He ran for 208 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries as well.
Heading into his senior year, Bridgeton High School head coach Dave Ellen explained the graduation of David Mosley opened the door for Bell to take over at quarterback, according to Bill Evans of NJ Advance Media:
We tried to find a way to spread him out last year, move him around as much as we could. Having David enabled us to put Bell anywhere on the field. We still have that luxury …. We're working on it. We have a freshman Solomon DeShields and a sophomore (Kiaeem) Butler, but we want to make sure Markquese is touching the ball so we'll be using him more like his sophomore year.
According to Hudl, Bell ran a 4.71-second 40-yard dash, which is less than impressive for a skill position player at a Power Five program. Because of his size (6'3", 195 lbs), Bell could still be a solid possession receiver and a target inside the red zone.
More than likely, though, he'll feature in the defense as either a safety or hybrid linebacker, thus making his speed less of an issue.
Bleacher Report's Michael Felder saw encouraging signs from Bell when he was in pass coverage:
Bell might follow in the footsteps of another New Jersey product, Jabrill Peppers, and see time on both sides of the ball. Through his first three years at Michigan, Peppers has primarily been used as a defensive back but has minor roles in the running and passing games as well as being the return man.
That's not to say Bell will make the same level of impact on Maryland, but he adds a similar kind of versatility to the team. In a few years, a creative coaching staff should be able to find a few different ways to use Bell every game.
Losing Bell to the Terps is a blow for Rutgers head coach Chris Ash. One of Kyle Flood's biggest problems during his four years with the Scarlet Knights was a failure to capture the best in-state recruits.
Getting Bell's commitment would've been a major feather in Ash's cap, especially having added Micah Clark, a Holmdel, New Jersey, native who is the No. 8 offensive tackle in 2017, per Scout.com.
Instead, it will be back to the drawing board for Ash and his staff. Whereas adding Clark for next year is a sign Rutgers is turning things around, the school's failure to secure Bell shows the Scarlet Knights still have plenty of work to do.
Note: Recruit info courtesy of Scout.com.
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