Bell attended high school at Taft School located in Watertown, Connecticut. Coming out of high school, Bell was rated as a three-star recruit, where he held offers from schools such as Iowa, Rutgers, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.[2][3] Ultimately, Bell committed to play college football for the Wisconsin Badgers.[4][5]
In Bell's first collegiate season in 2021, he played in just one game, where he made one catch for 15 yards.[6] During the 2022 season, Bell hauled in 30 receptions for 444 yards and five touchdowns, while also adding 160 yards on the ground on five carries.[7] Bell finished the 2023 season notching 38 receptions for 296 yards and a touchdown.[8] After the conclusion of the 2023 season, Bell decided to enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal.[9][10]
Bell decided to transfer to play for the UConn Huskies.[11][12] In week five of the 2024 season, Bell hauled in six receptions for 153 yards and three touchdowns, as he helped the Huskies to a 47-3 win over the Buffalo Bulls.[13]