Freshman defensive back CJ Bell joins the Iowa Football Transfer Portal with four years remaining. This time, a young defensive back seeking a new beginning is involved in the Iowa football transfer portal. As college football’s transfer market continues to reshape programs across the country, Iowa freshman DB CJ Bell announced his decision to enter the portal on Friday, indicating another offseason roster change for the Hawkeyes.
Update on the Iowa football transfer portal: CJ Bell departs Bell announced his departure from Iowa after just one season in Iowa City in a message posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account. The native of Massachusetts clarified that he will carry four full years of eligibility to his next destination after redshirting during the 2025 season.
Bell thanked the program for his time, mentioning the connections he made and the knowledge he gained from his first year of college. Although the decision to move on wasn’t presented as a bad one, it does represent the reality that many young players encounter when they look for more direct routes to playing time and long-term growth.
These changes are now a standard component of the contemporary roster cycle for schools like Iowa, which are renowned for their defensive depth and patience-based development.
A decision about the Iowa football transfer portal follows little action. Bell only played in one game during his one season with the Hawkeyes, which was against Indiana in 2025. Bell came to Iowa City with intriguing physical attributes at 6-foot-1 and 186 pounds, but like many true freshmen in a seasoned secondary, his early opportunities were limited. Bell had the opportunity to grow behind the scenes by redshirting, but it makes sense to look into other options given the intense competition in Iowa’s defensive back room. Bell and other players can reevaluate fit, scheme, and immediate opportunity through the transfer portal without losing their eligibility.
From a three-star hire to a potential transfer portal Bell was considered a strong national prospect after graduating from Mansfield High School in Mansfield, Massachusetts. He was ranked as the No. 97 cornerback in the 2025 recruiting class and given a three-star rating, according to 247Sports. Strong interest from the Power Five and beyond was evident in his recruitment. Before deciding on Iowa, Bell considered offers from Rutgers, Boston College, Maryland, Minnesota, Penn State, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Temple, Bowling Green, UConn, and UMass. Bell won’t be lacking in attention on the portal based just on that offer list. Programs looking for cornerbacks with size, athleticism, and long-term potential will probably look closely.
What this implies for Iowa’s future Bell’s departure doesn’t significantly change Iowa’s immediate plans, but it does draw attention to the continuous roster management balancing act. Although the Hawkeyes have continuously developed and maintained strong defenses, the transfer era has made it more difficult to keep young players who aren’t getting early opportunities. The Iowa football transfer portal is now a two-way street, bringing in seasoned players while also seeing younger players look for opportunities elsewhere. Bell’s departure creates a scholarship spot and might enable Iowa to seek experience or depth at another critical position.
What will happen to CJ Bell next? Bell stated that his representatives at NXTERA Sports should handle any future recruiting communications. This is a standard procedure for portal entrants hoping to expedite the process. Bell has four more years of eligibility and is a valuable developmental cornerback who, in the correct system, could develop into a multi-year contributor. Finding the ideal fit one that fits Bell’s skill set, schedule, and personal objectives is the focus of the next chapter. It serves as yet another reminder to Iowa supporters of how rapidly college football rosters change in the modern game.
Expect more movement, choices, and narratives shaped by the constantly active Iowa football transfer portal as the offseason progresses.
