Mississippi State has a new dual-sport athlete on campus.
Jimmy Bell, Jr., who suited up for the Bulldogs basketball team this season after transferring from West Virginia last summer, is expected to join the school’s football program beginning this week, according to On3.
While Bell might not have any basketball eligibility left, he technically has at least one year of football eligibility remaining. The 6’10”, 280-pounder spent a stint with the Mountaineers’ football program while at West Virginia. He was listed as an offensive lineman but never played in a game.
During his high school years, Bell was a three-star in football before stepping away from the gridiron to focus on basketball after his sophomore year. In his final two prep seasons, he dropped from nearly 370 pounds to 290. At West Virginia, he participated mostly on the scout team after deciding to give football another chance.
Bell averaged 5.0 points and 4.9 rebounds during his lone basketball season in Starkville. He is planning to begin spring practice with the football team on Thursday, but it’s unclear if it’s just a test run or if he’s a shoo-in to be part of Jeff Lebby’s inaugural squad at Mississippi State. The good news is that there’s no fouling out in football.
