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Four-star Florida State commit sparks Alabama flip rumor after recent spring practice

Modified Apr 01, 2025 13:49 GMT

Four-star safety Darryl Bell has been committed to Florida State's 2026 class since October 2023. However, that hasn't stopped other programs, especially Alabama, from pursuing the Barbara Goleman Senior High School (Florida) standout.

Bell was back at the Crimson Tide for spring practice, which was his second trip to Kalen DeBoer's program this year. He arrived in Tuscaloosa on Sunday and shared a snapshot of his visit on his Instagram story.

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Earlier this month at the Under Armour event, Bell proved his elite athleticism with a wingspan of 78.6 inches and strong testing numbers, including a 4.57-second 40-yard dash, a 1.64-second 10-yard split and a 4.33-second shuttle time.

Bell's explosiveness was evident with a 29.3-inch vertical and a broad jump of 10 feet, 1.5 inches. He has been a key player in his high school’s back-to-back postseason appearances.

As a junior in the 2024 season, Bell recorded 51 tackles (six for loss), three sacks, a fumble recovery, two blocked punts, a blocked kick and two interceptions, while also contributing on offense with two receptions for 23 yards and a touchdown. He is the No. 31 safety in the 2026 class and the No. 52 recruit in Florida, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

Can Alabama flip Darryl Bell from Florida State?

Despite being committed to Florida State, Darryl Bell is still considering other schools that are actively recruiting him, including Alabama, Nebraska, Michigan, Auburn, North Carolina and Georgia. Unlike some athletes who keep their options private, Bell has been open about his recruitment process, making a possible switch more likely.

“I will just get out, see different places and compare the schools to Florida State," Bell told On3 on March 6.

Bell's last visit to Florida State was on Jan. 27, followed by two trips to Alabama. Given the current trend, Alabama appears to have the best chance of flipping his commitment from the Seminoles.

If Bell decommits from FSU, the program will still have one safety committed in the 2026 class: four-star prospect Tedarius Hughes. Meanwhile, if he chooses the Crimson Tide, it would mark Kalen DeBoer’s first safety commitment in the 2026 class.

About the author

Maliha is a High School Sports news and listicles writer at Sportskeeda. A post graduate in Management Information Systems, it was her love for writing and sports which led her down the path of sports content creation. An experienced NBA and NFL writer, she covered the two sports extensively at SportsZion and SportsKnot before joining SportsKeeda.

Maliha is a huge Baltimore Ravens fan and is in awe of quarterback Lamar Jackson's dual-threat abilities. She also admires Tom Brady and her all-time favorite coach is 3-time Super Bowl champion Andy Reid. She is a big advocate of high school sports and believes that elite athletes reach a top level owing to the discipline, hard work, team dynamics, resilience, adaptability and self-confidence learnt by playing sports in high schools. Aaron Rodgers leading the Green Bay Packers to victory on his debut against the Minnesota Vikings is one of her fondest NFL memories.

Maliha places a high emphasis on accuracy in her content. She does thorough research, always double checks facts, and only uses information from most relevant and credible sources for her articles. When not writing, she likes to read history and biographical books.

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