Iowa has officially signed three-star cornerback, Charles "CJ" Bell. Originally from the Boston area in Massachusetts, Bell plays high school ball for St. Thomas More in Oakdale, Connecticut.
Bell chose the Hawkeyes over the remainder of his top nine, which included Minnesota, Notre Dame, Boston College, Penn State, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Rutgers and North Carolina State.
Rutgers, Boston College and North Carolina State were each heavily involved at one point in his recruitment. The No. 10 player in Connecticut, Bell took an official visit to New Brunswick in late May with Iowa being his lone other OV.
With offers from programs like Notre Dame and Penn State, Bell's potential at the position is notable. National recruiting analyst Adam Friedman included Bell in a group of defensive backs that impressed him at the Rivals Camp Series Northeast, saying Bell also had his "fair share of wins and showed off impressive technical skills during the position drills prior to one-on-ones."
At 6'2" and 168-pounds, Bell is slight of frame, but makes up for his lack of physical size with height, length, athleticism and ball skills. Pair that with 4.5 forty-yard dash speed, and Bell has the tools to be a solid Big Ten corner. He'll need to put on weight, but with Iowa's track record of doing so, Bell should be in a good spot to put on some pounds.
Ernest Anderson, head coach of St. Thomas More School, spoke highly of the new Hawkeye DB to recruiting analyst, Ryan O'Bleness.
"Best cornerback in the Northeast," Anderson said. "He can do it all — long, twitchy and great feet. He's an elite athlete."
