David Bell Named to Big Ten Pre-Season Honors List

As Big Ten media days kick off the conference is beginning to release dribs and drabs about the upcoming season. Today they announced their pre-season honors list. This is a 10 person list which includes 5 players from the East Division and 5 members from the West Division.

In the West none other than the best WR in the conference and Purdue’s own David Bell was named. This should come as no surprise to anyone as David Bell is widely considered to be well, pretty darn good. During the Covid shortened 2020 season Bell still managed to grab 53 receptions for 625 and 8 touchdowns. His long on the year was an 89 yarder.

Bell headlines a Purdue offense that includes a vast array of talent at the WR position. In order for this Purdue team to take a step forward Bell will need to be a leader on and off the field. Being named to lists like this, sort of strange as this list is, will give him more authority with the team and allow him to be the leader we all know he is.

Additional names on the list for the West Division were:

Five different schools placed students on the West Division preseason list, led by two recipients of conference individual awards from a season ago in Minnesota’s Mohamed Ibrahim (Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year) and Northwestern’s Brandon Joseph (Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year). Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum, Purdue wide receiver David Bell and Wisconsin linebacker Jack Sanborn rounded out this year’s West Division honorees.

In the East with Ohio State widely considered to be one of the top teams in the nation again they received three of the five spots with the remaining ones going to IU and Penn State.

Ohio State placed a trio of honorees on the East Division list, highlighted by Buckeye left tackle Thayer Munford, one of the most experienced offensive linemen in the Big Ten this season. He was joined on this year’s preseason East Division squad by a pair of Ohio State wide receivers in Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, with Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr., and Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson completing the East Division side.

Congrats to David Bell. We will pay attention to additional watch lists and award profiles as this will clearly not be the only one Bell makes this season.