Miami Hurricanes offensive lineman Markel Bell (70) blocks against the Ball State Cardinals in the first half of an NCAA football game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on Saturday, September 14, 2024.Al Diaz / Miami Herald Staff/ [email protected]
The Miami Hurricanes turned to Markel Bell in a time of need. The towering 6-9, 340-pound offensive lineman had to start five games for Miami at left tackle after usual starter Jalen Rivers was sidelined by an undisclosed injury after the team's season-opener against the Florida Gators.
Bell, a junior college transfer from Holmes Community College, held his own and gained the coaching staff's trust week over week as Miami continues its undefeated run.
So when Rivers returned from injury, coach Mario Cristobal made sure Bell still had a role on game day.
While Rivers is getting the bulk of the snaps at left tackle, he is occasionally sliding over to left guard to spell Matt McCoy. That gives Bell a chance to continue getting playing time at left tackle.
That splitting of reps is expected to continue when the No. 4 Hurricanes (9-0, 5-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) travel to play Georgia Tech (5-4, 3-3 ACC) at noon Saturday.
"We trust him," offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said. "We have a handful of players that might not be starters but we trust. Those guys deserve playing time. They deserve to be out there. Ultimately, you have to trust them. That's first. And then you've got to put them out there and let them play. I just think that rewarding guys that have shown that is very important."
Bell is definitely not taking the opportunity for granted. After joining the team ahead of spring practice, he has done whatever he could to put himself in a position to make an impact should his name be called.
That time arrived early in the season and it will continue.
"I just got real comfortable with the play calls, very comfortable with my teammates," Bell said. "Just sinking in, settling in, really just buying into the culture."
Bell has played 82 snaps over the past three games since Rivers returned. That includes 36 of 74 snaps on Saturday in Miami's 53-31 win over Duke.
He played 20 snaps in the team's road win over Louisville and 26 against Florida State.
"We want to do that more and more because we've seen that in practice," Cristobal said after UM's win over Louisville, the first game they used the rotation. "The chemistry of that particular lineup has worked just as well as the other ones, so we went with it and it worked out really well."
The team has the lineup flexibility because of its offensive linemen's versatility. Offensive line coach Alex Mirabal cross-trains every offensive lineman at multiple positions.
Rivers can play all five spots on the offensive line. Right tackle Francis Mauigoa can also play both guard spots. Anez Cooper can play both guard spots and right tackle.
"We train all positions," Cooper said. "We've got to know the right and left side. So I feel like they're just improving us."
Bell has taken advantage of being around the Hurricanes' offensive line. A majority of the group -- Rivers, McCoy, Cooper and Mauigoa along with reserves such as Samson Okunlola -- has been together since last season so they've had a firm grasp of their assignments.
That chemistry has translated to the newcomers, like Bell, and has helped them mesh with the rest of the group.
"It makes my job a lot easier," Bell said. "Whoever is in there -- whether Matt McCoy is in there, whether Jalen Rivers is in there, whether I'm playing next to Anez Cooper - I have faith in those guys and they have faith in me. We make a good combination."
And they help set everything up for the offense's success. Miami leads the nation in scoring (47.4 points per game) and total offense (556.9 yards per game) while also being tied with Ole Miss for first in yards per play (7.71). The Hurricanes have scored no fewer than 36 points in a game this season and have eclipsed the 50-point mark a school-record five times in nine games.
Quarterback Cam Ward drives a lot of that success with his ability to make highlight reel plays and extend plays with his feet and escape tackles.
"It's definitely a blessing," Bell said of Ward. "Whenever we're pass protecting, we have no clock in our head. We know the type of person he is, the type of player he is. He can extend [plays] for as long as he needs to, whatever it takes to get it done."