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FAYETTEVILLE -- Among of the chief concerns for parents of prospective football recruits is their well-being and the care their son will receive while in college.
University of Arkansas freshman defensive lineman Caleb Bell has adjusted well in Fayetteville thanks to the coaching and support staff.
"It's been a good adjustment, they obviously take care of us up here," Bell said.
Bell credits Danny Wheeler, the director of player development; Neil Harrell, assistant director of player development; and Jasdeep Grewal, a graduate assistant of player development, for making his transition to college go smoothly since enrolling in January.
"They have a nice support staff, they have people we can reach out to if we need anything," Bell said. "Even if we don't need anything, they're still going to reach out and make sure you're good."
Bell, 6-3 and 270 pounds, of Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton, chose to be a Razorback over scholarship offers from NC State, Missouri, Louisville, Kansas, Georgia Tech, SMU, Rutgers and other programs a few days after taking his official visit to Fayetteville in June 2024.
Texas extended a scholarship offer to Bell about two months after his pledge, but the staff at Arkansas, specifically defensive line coach Deke Adams, never wavered in their pursuit of him.
"The coaching staff never switched up, I had coaches that pursued me and said how much they were interested in me and if I looked to another school a little bit that would all fall," Bell said. "They would tell me I can't do that or they would ghost me all together because they didn't like the attention I gave to another school, but (Arkansas) stuck with me."
Texas and Mississippi State were the other finalists for his signature.
"Both of those programs have very good coaches and very good people," he said. "I just felt like I had very good relationships (with Arkansas). I already had it in my mind I was going to come here."
Bell said Adams is the same person he was during the recruiting process.
"He's pretty much the same," Bell said. "He was pretty much straight forward."
At least a 3-star recruit by all the major recruiting services, Bell recorded 71 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, 15 quarterback hurries, two pass breakups and a recovered fumble as a senior to help Eagles to the 5A state title and a 15-0 record. Bell had 5 tackles, 3 tackles for loss and a sack in the championship game.
He was named first-team 5A All-State by the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association as a senior.
He had 75 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 17 quarterback hurries and an interception as a junior to help Milton to the 7A state title.
Bell's mental and physical development was enhanced by having a father, Kendrell, who played at the highest level in college and the NFL. His father played linebacker at Georgia from 1999-2000 and was selected in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2001.
"I feel like I got a little extra help because he's been through everything I'm trying to reach and achieve," Bell said. "He told me the real raw truth about what it's like and what I need to prepare for and what I need to do and what I need to expect. Not like a water down version from maybe a coach. I have someone who's truly been in it."
The elder Bell didn't sugarcoat the path his son needed to take to be successful.
"He was very straightforward," Bell said. "When I was younger there were things I really didn't want to do but he told me I needed to it or I won't reach my goal. Sometimes I would fight it, but he told me you can quit anytime you want to in the sport but if you choose not to quit, you're going to do it the right way.
"I told him I didn't want to quit, so I had to do it the right way."
In recent years, parents have become more vocal about their opinions to coaches in youth sports and on the high school level. Despite playing football and reaching the NFL, Bell's father was the opposite of an overbearing parent.
"Caleb's dad was very, very hands-off and tried to stay out of the picture," Milton Coach Ben Reaves said. "He intentionally didn't want to overshadow Caleb at all, or (for) Caleb be known as Kendrell's son. He wanted Caleb to make his own path so that's why I didn't have a lot of interaction with him. I met him Day 1 when Caleb was in the program, saw him at the banquet but other than it, that was pretty much it."
On3.com rated him a 4-star prospect, the No. 21 defensive lineman and No. 211 overall prospect in the nation for the 2025 class. He had 20 sacks in his last two seasons while being the focus of constant double teams.
"Most of the big plays, most of the big sacks he had, he was fighting off double teams," Reaves said. "He was doing it with two guys on him. That's what he had to do all year. Almost every time he was involved in a big sack or big pass breakup, just know he had to work extra hard and go through double the guys that everyone else did."
Fall practice usually starts early August and the season can last into January. School starts again in the middle of January for the second semester and that involves offseason workouts until spring practice, which usually begins in March. Practice often ends in April and offseason workouts resume and go into the summer with an occasional break.
"Honestly for me, it's mentally," said Bell of the toughest part of football. "Being mentally prepared for how much time we're going to spend in the sport, because I feel like other people will tune into a game and just see people playing."
Bell is appreciative of his upbringing but knows the game allows opportunities for athletes who are less fortunate to improve their lives.
"This sport gets a lot of people out of tough situations in life," Bell said. "Thankfully, I had a father who played this sport and brought me and my family into a good position in life, so I don't have to go through some of those hardships. This sport helps a lot of people out."
Several upperclassman defensive linemen, including senior Danny Saili and redshirt sophomore Ian Geffrard, have mentored Bell since arriving in Fayetteville. He likes to hang out with fellow freshman defensive linemen Reginald Vaughn, Kevin Oatis and Keiundre Johnson.
"All the freshmen, we pretty much hang out together," Bell said.
Bell is grateful for the love of the Razorbacks and the support the team receives from the community.
"Here it's like everybody is united in how much they enjoy team," Bell said. "Not even just football -- basketball, baseball. I was at the baseball game. There was a lot of love. So just being around the city and a town that just devoted to one team so much is nice."
Reaves believes Bell will be an asset to the team and locker room.
"He's an incredible young man off the field," Reaves said. "A personality that lights up a room. Truly no enemies. Gets along with everybody. Jelled with everybody. Great teammate. A very, very hard worker. So he doesn't just check all the football boxes, but checked the boxes that you want in someone just being a man."
Caleb Bell at a glance
POSITION Defensive line
HEIGHT/WEIGHT 6-3, 270 pounds
HOMETOWN Alpharetta, Ga.
HIGH SCHOOL Milton
NOTEWORTHY On3.com 4-star prospect, No. 21 defensive lineman and No. 211 overall prospect nationally, rated a 3-star recruit by the other three major recruiting services. … Recorded 71 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, 15 quarterback hurries, 2 pass breakups and a recovered fumble as a senior. Helped his team to a win in the 5A state title game with 5 tackles, 3 tackles for loss and a sack. … January enrollee. … Father Kendrell Bell played linebacker at Georgia from 1999-2000 and was selected in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. … Recruited by defensive line coach Deke Adams