Markel Bell spent last season turning his 6-foot-9, 340-pound frame into a problem for ACC pass rushers, and now the Miami Hurricanes offensive lineman is being projected as a day two pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Bell played in 12 games and started five times for Miami, where he emerged as one of the best pass rush protectors in the country.
Bell’s work mattered because Miami finished with the No. 1 offense in the country during the season, and the Hurricanes leaned on him even more in the run game toward the end of the year. That gave the staff a clearer view of what he could become, not just as a big body on the edge, but as a lineman who could shape a game plan.
His path to that point began at Holmes Community College in Mississippi, where he played two seasons before transferring to Miami. After his final year there, Bell earned NJCAA All-Region honors and was the No. 1 JUCO offensive lineman that season, a profile that made him one of the most sought-after junior college linemen in the country. He chose Miami over Arkansas, Auburn, Mississippi State and Ole Miss, betting on a program with a deep offensive line room and a track record that would test him right away.
That was the point of the move. Bell was described as a rare-size offensive tackle who could change how draft evaluators view him, but he also had to get used to his size and develop after starting at junior college. At Miami, he found a room full of competition and a season with Cam Ward at quarterback, giving him a front-row seat to an offense that finished first nationally and a standard that left little room for passengers.
The question now is not whether Bell has NFL traits. It is whether his growth at Miami was enough to turn rare size into a dependable professional tackle, and the answer will drive how early teams are willing to call his name in 2026.
