If a rare situation calls for it, Villanova can call on Brendan Bell

RADNOR – Brendan Bell may have campaigned, but his powers of persuasion didn’t win over Mark Ferrante.

In his fifth year at Villanova, the linebacker’s defensive value is unquestionable. But the New Jersey native has been drumming into the coaching staff all year that the former quarterback at Ridge High School might be the right man for the job if they needed a little spark on offense.

Circumstances and opportunities have come to fruition for Bell, and the Wildcats are doing better.

Bell has two carries and two rushing touchdowns for Villanova this season. And while he’s not exactly the main line’s answer to Colorado’s two-way Heisman favorite Travis Hunter, his offensive contributions have proven crucial for a Villanova team heading into the FCS playoffs this week against Eastern Kentucky.

“I personally love both sides of the ball, so it kind of hurt not having played offense for five years,” Bell said Saturday after the Wildcats’ win over Delaware. “And coming back now feels good. I can’t decide whether the coach calls my name or not, but if he doesn’t, I close my heart. And when he gives me the ball, I get into the end zone.”

Bell has long been a cornerstone of Villanova’s defense, helping the program reach the FCS playoffs in three of his five seasons (one of which was a COVID-affected 2021 spring season). He has amassed 261 tackles in 50 starts, including double-digit tackles for a loss in each of the last two seasons. He had 4.5 tackles for loss in the late October win against New Hampshire alone.

His offensive forays were not frivolous attempts to reward a good soldier. They were a key contributor in the second half of one-score games. Debuting on November 2nd in Hampton, Bell’s four-yard TD in the third quarter was the eventual winner in a 20-14 decision.

On Saturday against Delaware, Bell became the first Villanova player in the program’s recorded history to score a touchdown on both sides of the ball. He returned a first-quarter interception 38 yards from home. Then, with 7:38 left, he took an inside handoff and stormed untouched six yards into the end zone, the final points of a 38-28 decision in the Battle of the Blue.

Bell has filled a niche that arises from Villanova’s roster reality. With 92 players, Ferrante doesn’t recruit fullbacks. Tight ends can generally handle the blocking role in this role, but the Wildcats have suffered a spate of injuries at the position. Saturday’s adversity included not only the occasional loss of a half-dozen defensive starters, but also leadback David Avit rushing for a touchdown in the first quarter and getting hit.

Because Ferrante needs personnel in certain packages, he has been evaluating his options in recent weeks. If the decision comes down between a young, inexperienced player who fits the position or someone like Bell who understands the scheme and can handle the physical task with a little preparation, Ferrante will trust the upperclassman to play a football game.

“He’s a 6-2, 230-pound linebacker who’s about the size of a fullback, but he’s a really good athlete,” Ferrante said. “He can catch it, he can throw it, he can obviously run with it. So that’s the origin, so to speak. We just need some goal-line and short-yardage personnel, and we ran out of some of those guys on the offensive side of the ball.”

Bell won’t play a prominent role on offense in the near future. He still has two runs this season and has thrown a few more lead blocks. He also has one reception for zero yards and a single punt return in 2021. He’s not the only defender forced into a new role: His touchdown run included fellow linebacker Jordan Nelson and two defensive linemen on the Playing field for extra muscles near the goal line.

But Bell will continue to make his case. “He complains all the time about not being involved,” quarterback Connor Watkins said. And when his number is called, there is no doubt that he delivers everything he can.

“It’s kind of cute now,” Bell said. “Five years have accumulated and it paid off in the biggest game.”