After picking up a scholarship offer from Tennessee less than two weeks ago,
Demitrius Bell didn’t get a chance to visit the Vols before committing to Michigan State on Wednesday. But less than 24 hours after he announced his decision, he finally made it to Knoxville with some of his teammates to participate in Tennessee’s 7-on-7 camp.
Vols coach
Josh Heupel’s staff, led by first-year wide receivers coach
Kelsey Pope, spent plenty of time watching the four-star Class of 2023 wide receiver/athlete from Blackman High School in Murfreesboro, Tenn., during Thursday’s camp. Bell also got to see some of Tennessee’s campus and facilities for himself, and he was able to meet with Pope and some of the Vols’ other coaches after the Blaze’s final game Thursday afternoon.
The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Bell said Tennessee made it clear to him during Thursday’s visit that it doesn’t intend to give up on him just yet despite his commitment to the Spartans, who hosted him on his first official visit last weekend. But he said he’s not sure yet how much he will consider Tennessee moving forward.
“I don’t know about taking no visits,” said Bell, who’s ranked the No. 332 overall prospect and No. 23 athlete in the 2023 class and the No. 8 rising senior from the state of Tennessee, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.
“I’ll keep an open mind.”
The Vols told Bell they liked what they saw from him on the field during Thursday’s 7-on-7 competition, which featured teams from several different states.
Bell, who transferred from McGavock High School in Nashville, Tenn., to Blackman in February, chose his words carefully and wasn’t willing to say much about his possible interest in Tennessee after visiting the Vols on Thursday. But he admitted that he was impressed by his first look at Tennessee’s campus.
“It’s a good facility,” he said. “I like it. … I didn’t know it was going to look like this.”
Before announcing his commitment to Michigan State, Bell told GoVols247 earlier this week that the offer he received from Tennessee on May 30 “was one I was waiting on.” He said the Vols showed interest in him for weeks before joining the list of major programs that have extended offers to him, which also includes Kentucky, LSU, Michigan, Ole Miss, Penn State and South Carolina.
“I knew it was going to be coming,” Bell said earlier this week, “because I was talking to Pope for, like, three weeks leading up to the offer. … (Tennessee likes) my quickness and my route-running. They said I’m one of the best wide receivers they’ve seen.”
Before committing to the Spartans, he said he “grew up liking” Tennessee, adding that he “was a big fan.” He said he also liked what he had heard from the Vols’ coaches, led by Pope.
“He’s a cool coach,” Bell said of Pope. “He keeps it real.”
But it remains to be seen whether his trip to Knoxville on Thursday ultimately will open the door for the Vols to be a serious threat to Michigan State. He said Thursday that his connection to Spartans coach Mel Tucker’s staff ultimately led him to pick Michigan State without waiting to see Tennessee or taking a second official visit.
“I built a great relationship with the coaches, and they showed me that they really care about me,” Bell said. “It’s genuine.”