After only one season with Alabama, freshman linebacker Christian Bell has announced Sunday he intends to leave the football program.
A former Hoover, Ala., standout and three-star prospect coming out of high school, Bell had yet to take the field for Alabama. Bell signed with Alabama over offers from Mississippi State, South Carolina, Louisville, Nebraska and UCLA, among others.
The linebacker officially announced the news of his transfer via Twitter Sunday evening:
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— Christian Bell (@BELL_ringerr) July 24, 2016
The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Bell originally signed with the Tide at the end of the 2014 season as an early enrollee. Last season, Bell served as a both a redshirt and a grayshirt player for the Tide. After loading up in the offseason at linebacker with the additions of five-star recruits Ben Davis and Mack Wilson, the opportunity for Bell to get on the field became all the more difficult following the latest recruiting cycle.
Bell is the second linebacker to leave the team prematurely this offseason, joining former touted recruit Adonis Thomas. Alabama has also lost defensive backs Maurice Smith and Shawn Burgess-Becker to transfer this offseason.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
