Michigan Football Signee Bio: Wide Receiver Ronnie Bell
Kansas City (Mo.) Park Hill two-star wide receiver Ronnie Bell is officially a part of the Michigan football program.
Measurables
• Claims a 4.5 40-yard dash and a 40-inch vertical.
Statistics
• As a senior, Bell recorded some crazy numbers; he caught 89 passes for 1,605 yards (18.3 yards per catch) and 21 touchdowns. His receiving touchdown total ranked fourth in state history. He also carried the ball 15 times for 163 yards and three more scores and chipped in a punt return touchdown.
• During his junior campaign, Bell tallied 53 catches for 639 yards (12.1 yards per catch) and six touchdowns.
• During his sophomore year, Bell had 17 catches for 232 yards (13.6 yards per catch) and four touchdowns.
Honors
• Led Park Hill to its first Gold Conference title as a senior.
• Won the 35th annual Thomas A. Simone Award as the top football player in the Kansas City area in 2017.
• Won the Otis Taylor Award, which goes to the most outstanding wide receiver/tight end in the Kansas City area as a senior.
• Won the 810 Varsity receiver of the year award as a senior.
• Named to the Missouri Football Coaches Association All-State first team for Class 6 as a senior.
• Named to the 2017 Kansas City Star All-Metro football first team as selected by members of the high school sports staff, who consulted with coaches before making their decisions.
Recruitment
• Originally signed with Missouri State in November to play basketball at the next level.
• Always wanted to play football in college and was released from Missouri State letter of intent once Michigan showed interest.
• Once released from basketball letter of intent, programs like Nebraska, Notre Dame, Missouri and Penn State, among others, began to show interest.
• Picked up his Michigan offer on Dec. 14 and committed just four days later sight unseen.
• Jim Harbaugh and Pep Hamilton spearheaded Bell's recruitment.
• Will visit Ann Arbor for the first time for his official visit on Jan. 19.
Notable
• Born on Jan. 28, 2000.
• Michigan was Bell's only football offer.
• Averaged more than 15 points per game last year on the basketball court.
• Mother played basketball at Fort Scott Community College.
• Father coached wide receivers at Missouri Western State.
2018 Projection
Michigan has a very young and talented wide receiver corps that will include sophomores Tarik Black, Nico Collins and Donovan Peoples-Jones next fall. Redshirt freshman Oliver Martin was also a part of that loaded 2017 freshman haul and will try hard to get on the field next year. Kekoa Crawford and Eddie McDoom will be true juniors, while Grant Perry will be the lone senior. With such a deep and experienced group, Bell likely won't be needed as a true freshman, which will give him a great chance to add some needed weight and learn what it takes to be a college receiver.
They Said It
Kansas City (Mo.) Park Hill head coach Josh Hood: "Sometimes you see guys on a basketball court who can do all of those crazy, athletic things and you think, 'Man, I wish I could see that guy on a football field,' and that's Ronnie. He's a football player, but he has that leaping ability and incredible body control. His ability to find the ball while it's in the air is special too. He really runs great routes and has a way of getting open as well. He's very slippery and has a great ability to get off the line of scrimmage. He can really just do it all.
"I'll be totally honest, when I'm working with our receivers, he's coaching a lot of the younger guys. There are things that I can't physically do that he can and he uses those abilities to coach up our younger players."
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