AMES — Back in December 2024, Iowa State landed a then-sophomore defensive back from Lindenwood in Tre Bell. At the time, Bell had been the second transfer to commit to the Cyclones after UCF transfer Xavier Townsend committed as the first for the 2025 season.

With the move to Ames, the Ballwin, Missouri, native would be playing at his first Power Five school after spending his first two seasons with the Lions.

However, since Lindenwood had only been about a 30-minute drive from his hometown, this would be the first major move away from home for the now-junior defensive back.

But after seeing what had attracted him to Iowa State, the decision became much easier for Bell, who will now play on the biggest stage in Power Five football.

“It was an easy decision,” Bell said. “Coach [Matt] Campbell was awesome. I’ve never met a coach like that before. My coach at Lindenwood and him are similar, I’d say, they are heavy in faith, they want you to be a great man but also a great football player, so I think both of those guys have really impacted my life and it just made the decision really easier to come to Iowa State.”

In his two seasons with the Lions, Bell played 20 total games, had 48 total tackles, 38 of which were solo tackles, 0.5 tackle for loss, 12 passes defended, a fumble recovery and an interception.

Bell stayed consistent in his two seasons, as he played 10 games and had 24 tackles in each of them.

However, his last season was the better of the two, as he had four more solo tackles compared to his freshman campaign, along with two more passes defended and the only interception he had collected of his collegiate career, which came against Kansas back on Aug. 29, 2024.

Iowa State’s cornerback coach Hank Poteet noticed Bell’s success at Lindenwood and knew that if he were to come to play for the Cyclones, he would be a perfect fit for this defense.

“His experience, his size, his length, his speed, playing in some big games and doing a good job in the big games,” Poteet said. “I thought that some of the things he showed on tape fit what we do here at Iowa State.”

Now, as Bell begins his first spring season with Iowa State, he looks to get situated with the increased level of play by getting to face a higher level of competition ahead of his first fall season in Power Five play.

“Really just adjusting to the game speed,” Bell said. “Just trusting my intangibles and knowing that I’m just as athletic as any of the guys here. Knowing the plays, knowing where people are gonna be at, just allowing myself to play fast, free and have fun, that’s all it’s about.”

“So far it’s been good,” Poteet said. “Obviously, you could tell there are some things that we do that are different, but he has all the tools and skill set to develop. He’s very smart and picks it up pretty fast. I’m excited for what I’ve seen so far in his development and I think he will continue to get better.”

Even his now-teammate in redshirt junior defensive back Jontez Williams has noticed Bell’s progression thus far and is intrigued to see how he continues to progress through spring ball.

“He looks good,” Williams said. “We just gotta keep working on the little things, the techniques that he may not have had at another school. We’re just working on different things that coach [Poteet] is teaching us.”

Getting to play at the highest level in college football has always been a high aspiration for Bell, as he knows that everything that has led him to being a Cyclone has happened for good reason, and he does not want to let this opportunity pass him by.

“It was always a dream, a hope of mine that I’d make it to this level,” Bell said. “To be here, I still honestly can’t believe it. But I know I’m meant to be here, God has put me in the right places all my life and is not gonna fail me now. I’m here for a reason and I’m going to make the most of it.”

With the addition of Bell, the Cyclones’ defensive back room looks to make a name for itself, but will do so without some key leaders from the season prior.

Former players such as Beau Freyler, Malik Verdon and Myles Purchase all played big roles in helping lead the Iowa State defensive backs during their stays here, but have now gone on to pursue roles at the higher levels after running out of eligibility. 

With that, it left a role for another leader to step up and those shoes were filled by Williams, who had time to learn from the guys above him so that he could now play their role within a younger group.

“I’m just trying to make sure I’m leading the same way those guys did before,” Williams said. “Just trying to make sure I’m not letting the standard lack and just trying to uphold the standard and push these guys.”

Williams’ leadership has been noticed by Poteet, who hopes that he can become an extension of what he does as a coach, to help teach the younger guys in the group to become the best they can be.

“From a leadership perspective, just to continue to bring the young guys along,” Poteet said. “He understands what it takes to play in this defense and understands what I’m looking for in a corner. I expect him to be an extension of me.”

But now, as the spring season approaches, Poteet has seen the progression from his position group and looks forward to seeing how the defensive backs improve their craft heading into the fall season.

“I think a lot of our guys, from the past couple months, have grown a lot,” Poteet said. “Whether it’s physically, getting bigger, stronger, faster, or just experiencing playing in this defense and how they fit within the defense.”