Goodbye: Isaiah Bell
Redshirt Junior LB has left the program.
Little prospects of playing time, but no reason for leaving were given. Might be trying to transfer somewhere, done with football or something else.
http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/colleges/michigan/post?id=3280
March 11th, 2012 at 10:48 PM ^
This isn't really surprising. Good luck to him wherever he ends up.
March 11th, 2012 at 10:48 PM ^
Wish him the best. Hope it was left well on both sides.
March 11th, 2012 at 10:48 PM ^
Sad to see him go. Must have seen the writing on the wall with the stacked LB class.
March 11th, 2012 at 10:53 PM ^
He's a redshirt junior. I doubt the incoming recruiting class, or the '13 class for that matter, really affected his decision. Especially since he's never played with or seen any of them in practice.
March 11th, 2012 at 10:49 PM ^
I was hoping to see Taco and Bell playing together.
March 11th, 2012 at 11:31 PM ^
I laugh at the dumbest things.
March 11th, 2012 at 11:39 PM ^
It was actually too much Taco Bell that was the problem
Well played sir.....well played! Now I'm Mike Jonesin' for some TB....
March 11th, 2012 at 10:50 PM ^
but given the limited # of schollies left for 2013 and our strength at LB, I can't say this stings. good luck to him.
March 11th, 2012 at 10:51 PM ^
Glad he stuck it out this long.
March 11th, 2012 at 10:51 PM ^
Well it always sucks when you lose players, but hopefully this all work out perfectly for him and there's no bad intentions
March 11th, 2012 at 10:51 PM ^
Didn't he switch between runningback, safety and linebacker under RR?
March 11th, 2012 at 11:14 PM ^
Yea he did make a couple position switches witch as you can assume affected his development
March 11th, 2012 at 10:51 PM ^
Good luck to you Bell!
March 11th, 2012 at 10:51 PM ^
There was some speculation he was off the team last year. If your heart is no longer in it, I think the honorable thing to do is to give someone else the oppurtunity. Good luck to him in the future.
March 11th, 2012 at 10:53 PM ^
but if we continue to recruit well, we will have some good players that do not get the chance to play. All the best Isaiah.
March 11th, 2012 at 10:53 PM ^
Guess that means three linebackers in 2013.
March 11th, 2012 at 11:03 PM ^
this is a non-factor numbers wise.
Total numbers yes. Position numbers it is a factor.
March 11th, 2012 at 10:54 PM ^
Best of luck to him going forward. If his MGoBlue profile is right, I feel bad for him that he never had the chance to play a down here.
March 11th, 2012 at 10:55 PM ^
And feels a bit wrong to move on so quickly but does this bump us to 23 spots available or is this counted as part of the normal attrition?
March 11th, 2012 at 11:23 PM ^
Read the damn front page, already!
While his departure does technically open up another scholarship for Brady Hoke's monster 2013 class, he was one of the guys I was assuming would not return for a fifth year. It was already built into 20 that is the no-attrition baseline.
March 11th, 2012 at 11:29 PM ^
To be fair he posted only two minutes after Brian, probably didn't read it yet.
As this thread isn't locked yet, I'm (double) posting this comment here, as well as in the comments for Brian's post:
How does one assume that a RS Junior will be left off the roster? Bell is currently listed as a RS Soph. Unless I'm missing something (certainly posible at 5am), next year would have been his 4th year, not his 5th.
I know it's a moot point now, but if he hadn't quit, I don't see how the coaches were going to kick him off the team.
March 12th, 2012 at 10:41 AM ^
Answered in the comments to Brian's post: He was not going to be staying around after this season thus already considered gone from the standpoint of 2013 recruiting.
March 11th, 2012 at 10:56 PM ^
Everyone is secretly happy that this opens up another scholarship, lol. I honestly didn't know we had Isiah Bell. Best of luck to him though.
March 11th, 2012 at 11:07 PM ^
I am not secretly happy to see him go. I think it's unfortunate that he decided to come here to play football and get a degree and he leaves without accomplishing one of those goals. It may have been on his own terms, but that still doesn't mean he's 100% content with the outcome. As for the comment that you didn't know he was on the roster, that is a completely unneccassary comment and makes you sound like an ass, lol.
Best of luck to him.
March 12th, 2012 at 12:11 AM ^
He's a redshirt junior, is he not finishing up the year to get his degree?
March 12th, 2012 at 12:52 AM ^
He would have been a redshirt junior this year. He came in the 2009 class with Denard
March 12th, 2012 at 12:25 AM ^
Maybe you should read Brian's post about how he was left out of fall camp and was basically already chalked up as being gone. Perhaps that is why I didn't know he was on the roster ... because he basically wasn't. I guess the coaches looked like "asses" as well because they left him off the camp roster. I'm all for a kid that wants to get a degree and play football, but if that kid stops wanting to play, then his scholarship should go elsewhere ... such as another 2013 stud recruit, which will make me happy. If his scholarship goes to someone like Ty Isaac, I doubt you will still be preaching about Bell staying at UM.
March 12th, 2012 at 12:54 AM ^
I think everyone realizes the situation. Still, you don't have to be a dick about it.
March 11th, 2012 at 10:56 PM ^
Those who stay will be champions.
March 11th, 2012 at 11:00 PM ^
If coach would of put him in the 4th quarter he could of took state.
March 11th, 2012 at 11:14 PM ^
Your use of "of" is just wrong. And your post is non-sensical.
I'm sorry, everyone. I just couldn't let that one stand.
March 11th, 2012 at 11:30 PM ^
That's a Napolean Dynamite reference. I don't know if the improper grammar was intended, but that's probably how Uncle Rico would "of" wrote it.
March 11th, 2012 at 11:34 PM ^
Darn, the one time I choose to step up on behalf on grammar nerds everywhere, and pop culture fails me. Or I failed pop culture. Either way, I suck.
March 12th, 2012 at 12:53 PM ^
My self-esteem just took a major hit, just like in '82.
March 11th, 2012 at 11:24 PM ^
He can now take time to focus on his thesis or whatever graduation projects he has going.
March 11th, 2012 at 11:34 PM ^
Is he Denards year? Which may mean that he is leaving without a degree. I hope he enrolls somewhere. Good luck to him and I heard he may have financial issues at home. No idea if it is true, but really sad. The kid seemed to love Michigan and never said a bad word.
March 11th, 2012 at 11:42 PM ^
Redshirt junior it said so he should be a year above denard and have his degree. Hopefully he gets some playing time wherever he lands up
March 11th, 2012 at 11:49 PM ^
He came in with Denard, so he would have been entering his redshirt junior year. I just checked.
March 11th, 2012 at 11:38 PM ^
I think he just finished his third year, so I don't think he has his degree.
March 11th, 2012 at 11:37 PM ^
It's sad, but it happens at every elite program. Virtually all of these guys come in as big-time stars in high school. Even 3-star recruits these days are giving press conferences about where they will attend college.
It must be very difficult for a young athlete when all of the attention and glory dies down and you realize that it's not ever coming back. It's a cold reality.
We wish him well in his "regular" life.
March 11th, 2012 at 11:36 PM ^
Best of luck to him in whatever he decides to do
March 11th, 2012 at 11:49 PM ^
Hope things work out for the best for him.
March 12th, 2012 at 12:05 AM ^
Hope he has his degree or at least good progress and enjoyed his time in Ann Arbor. If he transfers to a smaller school, I hope he gets to finish his career as a starter.
March 12th, 2012 at 12:10 AM ^
I also wish the best for Bell. He came in and leaves a Michigan Man, in my mind. He seemed to have done all the right things, trying to help his coaches and teammates by agreeing to switch positions, despite whatever negatives it might have meant for his personal goals as a football player. For whatever reasons he has, it apparently was time for him to move on, and I respect him for making what had to be a tough decision.
Whatever the future holds for him with football, I also hope he was on track with his studies and finishes his degree, if he hasn't done so already.
March 12th, 2012 at 12:47 AM ^
best of luck, bell. hope you get to contribute elsewhere.
Best wishes, sir
Life doesn't always turn out the way we hoped, Mr. Bell. May new opportunities open up for you that better fit your path in life.