8/20/2003 football Edit

George Bell Currently Favors NC State

Adam Miller

HokieHaven.com Recruiting Analyst

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Running back George Bell

For almost a year, top-ranked running back prospect George Bell (5-foot-11, 225 pounds, 4.45-forty) has been recovering from a torn ACL and a ripped LCL. He suffered the injury just three and a half games into his junior season.

Two weeks ago, Bell’s knee was at about 80%. How is his knee doing now? “I don’t know what the percentage is right now, but I’m feeling good,” Bell explained. He is able to cut and practice with pads on, however, he will not play in Jack Britt’s first couple games. “We already had a game last Friday, but I didn’t play,” Bell said. “I don’t know when I will be playing, but I should be out there in September.”

Prior to his injury last year, the Fayetteville (N.C.) product rushed for 630 yards and six touchdowns in 11 quarters. “I’ve got every thing you need in a running back, all the attributes,” Bell explained. A lot of people have compared his style of play to Walter Payton.

"George plays against the highest caliber of player that North Carolina has,” Jack Britt head coach Richard Bailey previously told Mike Farrell of Rivals100.com. “We have a new school and George started as a 14-year old freshman in the toughest league in North Carolina and he still rushed for over a 1,000 yards. Most of his blockers were only freshmen and sophomores."

So where does his recruiting process stand? “Right now NC State stands out the most,” Bell said. “I would say they are a strong favorite but I don’t have a time table for my decision.”

He already has five official visits set up. “I’m going to Michigan, Virginia, Virginia Tech, LSU and Ohio State,” Bell said. His first trip will be to Michigan on September 6th and then he will visit Virginia on the 27th of September. None of the other dates have been made.

The Hokies have been in Bell’s top four for sometime now. “I like the program,” he said in regards to Virginia Tech. “I also like the running back situation that they will have when [Kevin] Jones leaves.”

“I just want to get back healthy,” he concluded. “I’m not really worried about anything else at this point.”

George Bell Media