Texas State defensive players Mbanasor, Bell sign NFL deals as undrafted free agents
SAN MARCOS — Two former Texas State defensive linemen signed NFL contracts as undrafted free agents over the weekend after the draft. Nelson Mbanasor signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Levi Bell with the Baltimore Ravens.
Linebacker London Harris received minicamp invitations from the Indianapolis Colts and the Atlanta Falcons.
Mbanasor (Pflugerville) and Bell (Cedar Park) are from the Austin area. Both played just one season with the Bobcats; Mbanasor transferred in after five seasons at Texas Tech. Bell came in after two years at Louisiana Tech; he started his career at the College of Idaho (2018) and Tyler Junior College (2019).
Bell led the team with 13½ tackles for a loss and had five sacks and 66 tackles. He measured at 5 feet 11 and 262 pounds on Texas State’s pro day March 12 and ran a 4.59 in the 40, had a 37½-inch vertical jump and reached 33 reps on the bench press. He's expected to switch to fullback with the Ravens.
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Mbanasor led the Bobcats with six sacks and had 34 tackles, 9½ for a loss, and two forced fumbles. After measuring in at 6-2, 252, Mbanasor ran a 4.67 with a 35-inch vertical and 23 reps on the bench press at Texas State’s pro day. He said he will play in the edge rush position in Tampa Bay’s five-man defensive front.
“This game, in the NFL, you can’t just be a one-trick pony,” Mbanasor said. “You’ve got to be able to rush the passer and stop the run. That’s what they harp on in the NFL — you got to be able to rush the passer. I feel like this past season in San Marcos, I showed I can do that. I had a lot of success on the edge as a five-tech, six-tech and nine-tech, so that versatility, being able to play out there on the edge, that’s what they are looking for.”
Mbanasor said he had his choice of a few teams but picked Tampa Bay because it’s a team he “always admired.”
“In terms of the process, I’ve been talking to the Bucs since December,” Mbanasor said. “They had an eye on me even before the whole draft process started. Once day three came around, me and my agent and Tampa Bay, we started talking pretty early. We got a deal done towards the later rounds, so I didn’t even have to wait like most people do after the draft. We closed the deal and got it done pretty early.”
Harris played 57 games in six seasons with the Bobcats, registering a career-high 81 tackles, three for a loss, plus two sacks and two forced fumbles at inside linebacker last season. On pro day, he ran a 4.6, had a 38-inch vertical and added 25 reps on the bench. He has yet to decide which of the two camp invitations to accept.
More: Texas State adds transfers to already-swollen 2023 recruiting class
Recruiting: Texas State received commitments from two transfer offensive linemen — Houston guard Chayse Todd and Oklahoma tackle Brey Walker. Todd (6-2, 305) will have three years of eligibility while Walker (6-7, 355) has one. Both are expected to sign and join the team this summer.
Baseball: Texas State (30-16) won its first conference road series last weekend, beating Old Dominion two games to one, before picking up a 10-5 win Tuesday over Incarnate Word. The Bobcats are back home this weekend, hosting Georgia State in a three-game series.
Softball: Texas State (31-21-1) beat Marshall at home two games to one in the penultimate series before the Sun Belt Tournament. The Bobcats will host James Madison this weekend before the tournament begins May 10 in Lafayette, La.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas State players Nelson Mbanasor and Levi Bell sign as NFL UFAs
