Can Jayden Bell Help the Mountaineers’ Secondary? | WVU Football All 105

All 105 is a West Virginia Sports Now series profiling each member of the 2026 WVU Football Roster.

Redshirt junior Jayden Bell joined the Mountaineers as a preferred walk-on in 2023. The son of former WVU receiver Grantis Bell, who amassed more than 900 yards in Morgantown and now works as an NFL referee, Jayden Bell plays on the other side of the ball at cornerback.

Listed at 5-foot-10 and 156 pounds, Bell is lighter than even the typical Power Four slot cornerback; the next snap he takes at the collegiate level will be his first. While he could earn some snaps during blowouts or on special teams as his college career nears its conclusion — as a walk-on entering his fourth season, Bell might not come back as a redshirt senior — he could make an even more valuable contribution to the Mountaineers through the continuity he provides.

West Virginia’s secondary struggled mightily in 2025, prompting an overhaul of the unit for the second consecutive season. Having an All-Big 12 Academic Team honoree who knows the system like Bell in position group meetings and on the scout team could help the Mountaineers’ pass defense make it out of the basement.

39 • Jayden Bell, Redshirt junior cornerback

Last Year: Bell did not appear in any games during the 2025 WVU football season.

Stats: N/A

Camp Outlook: Expect Bell to make most of his impact on the Mountaineers through his locker room presence.

Projected Role: Bell could earn occasional snaps in blowouts or on special teams.

Accolades, Highlights: The son of a former Mountaineers’ receiver, Bell made it through the roster cuts and turmoil of Rich Rodriguez’s first season — a testament to the intangible value he provides.