January 16, 2016 was a big day for the UConn football program. It was the day CB Tre' Bell officially transferred to the Huskies from Vanderbilt. The former highly sought after recruit from St. Peter's Prep in New Jersey had originally committed to Florida, before enrolling with the Commodores, where he spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career.

The Huskies have made a habit of producing talented defensive backs, many of which have gone on to see time in the NFL and Bell comes in with expectations. UConn was on his radar coming out of high school and there's a reason he's made his way to Storrs.

"I went into this with an open mind, not playing favorites," Bell said after practice on Wednesday. "I did not have any specific place I wanted to go, North or South, I really didn't care. When I came in here, I knew a couple guys and when I met the staff, saw the facilities again, as this was my second visit, I took a visit back in my junior year, I felt that home, a special place. I really felt that I could definitely come in and build a bond with a new set of brothers."

Defensive coordinator Anthony Poindexter could only rave about what Bell will be able to bring to the Huskies defense and it's not going to have to wait until he's eligible to play during the regular season, a year from now.

"We knew him coming out of high school before he went to Vanderbilt," Coach Dex said on Wednesday. "He's just a good football player, very intelligent and very smart. We like his size, we like his length, like his aptitude of football knowledge. He will be a great addition and will mix right in. A lot of the guys knew him from high school. He brings a certain vibe and energy to practice and we're just excited to have him."

Bell has already built a great relationship with Poindexter, despite being here for only three months.

"Coach has a lot of energy, he's a funny guy," he said. "I love to play for him. He has a lot of fun with you, but in the film room, on the field, he coaches you really hard, to make sure you stay on top of your stuff. He's a great guy, we have a lot of conversations off the field, just about life. He asks how my family is doing, we talk about how his family is doing. He's just a great guy and a great coach. Everything correlates with each other, he's a great person to play for."

Even though Bell has to sit out until 2017, he gets to make a more immediate impact in practice. He has goals for this season and it encompasses not just improving his game, but those around him.

"Right now I'm working on making my teammates better. I'm living with [WR] Noel Thomas, so that's my number one competitor when we get back to the room," Bell said jokingly. "I just want to make every single receiver and every single person on this team better. That's my goal right now for this upcoming season."

The Huskies have a strong secondary, including on the outside with CB's Jhavon Williams and Jamar Summers. However, there is always room for improvement and this spring is no different. One key component to work on this spring has been identified and all players are taking it to heart.

"Right now we want to instill making plays on the ball," Bell said. "Whether you're a receiver or a DB, and whether that's 1-on-1, 7-on-7, 11-on-11, we want to work on making plays on the ball and making sure that we are great. Each person is working to make each other great."

But that's not the only thing being worked.

"Consistency," Bell added. "Right now, we have guys up front, Jhavon, Jamar, we are just trying to build consistency in the group. Staying on our technique, staying on our tackling, just working on the little things, so we can be the best corner group in the country." 

MATT SCHONVISKY / SITE CREATOR