Photo Credit: Harley Taylor
Skyler Bell has quietly risen Virginia Tech's wide receiver board in recent weeks as the Hokies are looking to add 2-3 more wide receivers to a class that already includes Richmond star WR Jaylen Jones.
The good news for Tech is that their prioritization of Bell is paying off.
Skyler Bell told us that Virginia Tech is among five schools currently standing out for him along with Wisconsin, Iowa, West Virginia, and Rutgers. He had this to say about why the Hokies are standing out for him.
"I love it. Everyone there seems great, and people that I want to be around and be coached by. Not to mention, they are a top 25 school and they are also building an impressive class," Bell said.
The Hokies are also pushing hard for Bell with Tech being in contact with him "at least once or twice a week" with WRs coach Jafar Williams and head coach Justin Fuente leading the charge.
Jafar Williams, in particular, has led the charge for the Hokies with Bell building a strong relationship with his potential collegiate position coach.
"It's great!! I’ve built a great relationship with Coach Williams over time. He's a really cool guy and a guy that I can see myself being coached by," Bell said.
Additionally, Bell has built a strong relationship with head coach Justin Fuente as he told us.
"It's good. He's a very laid back and down to earth coach. He really connects with his players and I like that," Bell said.
The Hokies have slowly emerged as a serious contender for Bell in part because of these relationships that grew especially after he decided to slow things down when he seemed close to a commitment, likely to Iowa, in the late spring. Wisconsin has also emerged as a major player for Bell and is making a major push for the talented receiver from Connecticut.
That shouldn't come as a surprise as Bell showed plenty of promise this past fall with 36 catches for 500+ receiving yards and 8 touchdowns plus 2 touchdowns off kick returns and a rushing touchdown, all of which happend over the course of an 8-game season.
Additionally, Bell described what he feels are the strengths and weaknesses of his game.
"My strengths are my athleticism, and my ability to be explosive in the offense and be a playmaker. I would say my weakness is my ability to read defenses on the fly," Bell said.
Looking ahead, Bell doesn't have a timeline for making a decision, but he does have a good idea of what the key factors will be for him when he does make his decision.
"I would say a place that feels like home away from home. I want to be comfortable on and off of the field," Bell said.
Virginia Tech is in the hunt and in an intense battle with Wisconsin, Iowa, West Virginia, and Rutgers for talented three-star WR Skyler Bell.
