Miami's offensive line has gotten plenty of national shine because of right tackle Francis Mauigoa, but the Hurricanes' most quietly valuable piece heading into the College Football Playoff matchup with Ohio State might be on the blind side. Left tackle Markel Bell has put together the kind of season that NFL scouts love, and it has largely flown under the radar outside of Miami circles.
In 2025 Miami LT Markel Bell has allowed ZERO sacks and only 1 QB hit
— LandonTengwall (@LandonTengwall) December 29, 2025
The ELITE Pass Protector is 6’9 with 36.5 inch arms 😳 pic.twitter.com/gfcfyYSmcE
Miami Hurricanes LT Markel Bell
Bell is listed at 6-foot-9 and 345 pounds, a massive frame for an edge protector. He's from Cleveland, Mississippi, played at Holmes Community College, and arrived in Coral Gables as one of the top junior college offensive linemen in the country. He was ranked the No. 1 JUCO offensive lineman by 247Sports and a top JUCO tackle in the On3 Industry Rankings.
According to Pro Football Focus data, Bell has three pressures allowed and zero sacks allowed while playing 796 snaps, along with a 60.3 run-blocking grade. In Miami's win over Florida State, PFF credited Bell with not allowing a quarterback pressure and tagged him with an 88.3 pass-blocking grade for the night.
Mauigoa has been the headline on the O-line for a few years now, but scouts won't be able to ignore Bell if he dominates against Ohio State or comes back for another year and plays well. Mauigoa has pretty much been a solidified first round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft since before this season started.
Bell is currently projected a solid Day 2/Day 3 pick in the upcoming draft. As of right now, Bell hasn't decided whether he'll turn pro or pursue an extra year. Another year could do him some good as far as tape is concerned (although he obviously has put out good film), but it's pretty much a given that the combine and pro day will give him a boost regardless.