The 2024 college football season presents an entirely new landscape. Texas is in the SEC. SMU is back in a power conference as ACC members. The College Football Playoff now includes 12 teams and an automatic bid for the best G5 team in the land. For most, the start of the season is in Week 1 on August 30, though SMU starts in Week 0 and TCU plays its first game on Aug. 29. 

To celebrate us making it through another off-season, we’re counting down the 50 most important players in Texas as we inch closer to kickoffs. This list isn’t necessarily about which players are the best in terms of NFL draft stock. It ranks players in order of importance to their team's success. 

NO. 19: TEXAS STATE DE Ben Bell

The History: Bell was the District Defensive MVP as a senior at Cedar Park, 55 minutes north of Texas State's campus, and played two years of college football at Louisiana Tech before returning home. He played outside linebacker for the Bobcats in 2022 but switched to his more natural defensive end position in head coach GJ Kinne's first season. Bell tied the program's FBS tackle for loss single-season record with 16 last year and also added ten sacks. He earned DCTF First Team All-Texas. 

The Skillset: Bell finished 2023 with 12.5 tackles for loss in the final six games, displaying game wrecker ability. Standing 6-foot-2, 250 pounds, Bell wins one-on-one battles with toughness. His playing style seeps into the rest of the defense. New defensive coordinator Dexter McCoil will be Bell's third defensive coordinator in as many years. 

The Impact: Texas State finished second in the country last season with 8.3 tackles for loss a game, and the line needs to be the team's strength this year while the Bobcats break in new linebackers. Bell is one of three seniors on the front four, which should be more dangerous with UIW transfer Steven Parker on the opposite edge. Parker's presence will force teams from solely focusing on Bell in both the run and pass game, freeing him up to make more plays.