Louisville All-Atlantic Coast Conference receiver Chris Bell, a trending 2026 NFL Draft prospect, is set to undergo surgery this week to repair a torn ACL, ESPN reported on Wednesday.
Bell sustained the injury in the Cardinals’ 38-6 defeat at SMU on Nov. 22, and he missed the team’s regular-season finale vs. Kentucky.
It prematurely ended a strong season that saw the 6-foot-2 receiver rack up 917 receiving yards on 72 catches with six touchdowns. Bell had a 135-yard, two-touchdown performance in Louisville’s 24-21 road upset of then-No. 2 Miami on Oct. 17.
A three-star prospect who signed with Louisville out of high school in the 2021 recruiting class, Bell grew exponentially in production, going from 105 yards as a true freshman to 407 as a sophomore and 737 as a junior in 2024. He is set to finish his Louisville career with 151 catches for 2,166 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The gradual development put Bell onto the NFL radar. ESPN projected him to be the 32nd overall pick (last pick of the first round) to the Denver Broncos in its most recent mock draft.
The Cardinals (8-4) will close out their 2025 season against Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl of Beans. They’ll quite possibly also be without standout running back Isaac Brown, who missed the final four games of the regular season with a leg injury.
