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Bell, a redshirt junior in 2020, appeared in 22 games the past two seasons. He accumulated 21 tackles, one pass defensed, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick. He started one game during the ’18 season. He is striving to become a graduate transfer.

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Bell’s departure leaves ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ with six scholarship safeties. That relatively low number shouldn’t be as big an issue with the Wildcats shifting to a new defensive scheme under Paul Rhoads after deploying three starting safeties under former coordinator Marcel Yates. But only one of those players, sophomore Jaxen Turner, is an underclassmen, and none of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s current signees for 2020 is a safety.

It’s possible incoming or veteran players could change positions to help fill the void and create more competition at safety, where the Wildcats didn’t get consistent production last season. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ has an abundance of wide receivers (14 on scholarship), including some who have safety experience. The Wildcats also conceivably would have enough depth at cornerback to support a move within the secondary if recruit Alphonse Oywak signs with the UA next week.

National Signing Day is next Wednesday. If ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ doesn’t fill its ’20 class, it will continue to pursue additions from the junior-college ranks and the transfer portal.

Bell came to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ as a three-star recruit from Mater Dei High School in Orange County, California. His primary recruiters were Yates, who’s now with Cal, and Donté Williams, who’s now with Oregon.

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ hasn’t lost as many players to the transfer portal since the start of the 2019 season as some of its Pac-12 rivals. But four players played safety at one point or another: Bell, Day Day Coleman, Maurice Gaines and Chacho Ulloa.