| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 2005 (age 19–20) | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Michigan State Spartans | ||
| Number | 24 | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2023–2024 | Maryland Terrapins | 36 | (3) |
| 2025– | Michigan State Spartans | 25 | (11) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2024–2025 | Carolina Ascent (USL W) | 6 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Kennedy Bell (born 2005) is an American college soccer player who plays as a striker for the Michigan State Spartans. She previously played for the Maryland Terrapins. She was named the Big Ten Forward of the Year with the Spartans in 2025.
Bell grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. [1] She began playing soccer as a kindergartener and decided to focus on the sport at age eight or nine. [2] She played club soccer for Charlotte Soccer Academy, serving as team captain and being named ECNL All-American and the Conference Co-Player of the Year in 2022. [1] Though she played defender for club, she played midfielder for Hough High School and was named the Queen City 3A/4A Player of the Year after scoring 18 goals with 16 assists as a junior in 2022. [3] [4] She committed to Maryland in her junior year. [5] TopDrawerSoccer ranked her the 34th-best recruit in the 2023 class. [1]
Bell started all 18 games for the Maryland Terrapins as a freshman in 2023, earning Big Ten Conference all-freshman honors. [1] She moved from right back to winger as a sophomore in 2024, starting 18 games and leading the team in points with 3 goals and 2 assists. [6] [7] She then transferred to the Michigan State Spartans, where her father played college football, before her junior season in 2025. [4] Michigan State head coach Jeff Hosler converted Bell to striker, a move that paid off immediately. [4] [8] She led the Big Ten with 11 goals and added 7 assists in 25 games. [9] She helped the Spartans to runner-up finishes for the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles, drawing a penalty in the final against Washington and making hers in the shootout loss. [4] [10] Michigan State earned a program-best two seed in the NCAA tournament and reached the quarterfinals for the first time. [4] [11] Bell was named second-team All-American, first-team All-Big Ten, and the Big Ten Forward of the Year. [9]
Bell was called into training camps with the United States under-15 team in 2019 and 2020. [12] She went to camps with the under-20 team in 2025. [13]
Bell is the daughter of Kimberly and Myron Bell and has two brothers. [9] Her father played eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals. [8] Her brother Corey played college football for North Carolina. [1]
Individual