Rebels gain big commitment from juco DE B.J. Bell; sign DeGiacomo

By Ryan Greene

Friday, Jan. 2, 2009 | 6:16 p.m.

A couple of weeks after getting burned late by former Palo Verde star Jarrell Harrison, UNLV came up with a big junior college commitment to ring in the new year.

It came in the form of 6-foot-4 Santa Ana (Calif.) C.C. defensive end B.J. Bell, the younger brother of former UNLV linebackers Zach and Beau Bell.

Beau, who just completed his rookie season with the Cleveland Browns, was the 2007 Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

B.J., who generated plenty of interest from Big 12 and Pac-10 schools, will sign next month and enroll at UNLV in June.

As for more defensive backfield help, the Rebels signed El Camino (Calif.) College safety Alex DeGiacomo on Friday as a mid-year transfer, meaning he'll be at UNLV for the upcoming spring semester.

He's UNLV's third juco mid-year transfer, and all three are defensive backs. Joining DeGiacomo on campus this spring will be previously-signed Warren Ziegler and Kenny Brown.

DeGiacomo led the ECC Warriors in total tackles this season with 57, as they finished the campaign 10-2. He also had an interception and three pass breakups.

“We had a pressing need in the secondary, especially at the safety spot, so we are excited to get Alex DeGiacomo,” UNLV coach Mike Sanford said. “He is an excellent player from a very good program. He will come in midyear and hopefully make a big impact on our program.”