Le’Veon Bell’s name is back in the news for the wrong reason, and this time it has nothing to do with his days carrying the football for Michigan State or his run as an NFL star.
According to TMZ, Bell is reportedly in jail over child support issues. The legal trouble comes after a career that once put him among the sport’s biggest names, with Bell said to have earned around $65 million in the NFL with the Steelers, Chiefs, and Jets. He has also reportedly made about $250,000 as a boxer since stepping away from football, where he went 2-1 and even fought Adrian Peterson.
Bell’s financial picture is part of the story, too. He’s reportedly worth about $12 million, but the situation has still landed him in court for monetary reasons.
His lawyer is denying the claims, and the defense is saying Bell took out his $50,000 pension to make a significant payment toward child support. Based on his current income, it appears Bell believes he is already paying plenty, though the reported numbers suggest he may still be expected to make a substantial payment.
For now, the details remain in flux, and the full picture will have to come out before anyone rushes to judgment.
What hasn’t changed is Bell’s place in Michigan State history. He remains one of the most gifted players to ever wear green and white, and his East Lansing résumé still stands out.
In just three seasons, he ran for 3,346 yards and 33 touchdowns, and Mark Dantonio built him into the team’s bell-cow back. Bell was a huge reason the Spartans reached the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl instead of finishing 5-7 or 4-8, and that year he piled up more than 1,700 scrimmage yards.
Michigan State has had its share of quality backs since then, including LJ Scott, Kenneth Walker III, and Nate Carter. Cam Edwards is next in line to try to join that group this season, and the UConn transfer is viewed as one of the best in the country.
In Other News...
MSU May Be Zeroing In On A Familiar AD Candidate
Michigan States search for a new athletic director has reportedly turned toward a familiar name in the Midwest, with Western Michigan AD Dan Bartholomae emerging as a potential candidate. Bartholomae has built a reputation as a department leader who is comfortable making difficult decisions and pushing programs forward, and his rsum includes earlier stops as an executive deputy AD and chief operating officer at Oregon State.
What makes him especially intriguing for MSU is the combination of experience and momentum he brings from Kalamazoo, where he has overseen a period of stronger fundraising and a willingness to reset the football program when needed. The hurdle, of course, is getting him out of a long-term contract at WMU, which gives this search a layer of complication even before Michigan State settles on how aggressively it wants to pursue him. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Just Got An Extra Reason To Dread Arkansas
Michigan States Thanksgiving Day matchup at Little Caesars Arena already had the look of a measuring-stick game, with ranked Arkansas coming in as a serious early-season test. Now the Spartans have one more layer to think about, because the Razorbacks will bring along Davion Thompson, a true freshman whose arrival on campus came sooner than expected after he reclassified from the 2027 class into 2026.
Thompson also adds a familiar recruiting wrinkle for Michigan State. He was once a major target for the Spartans before ultimately choosing Arkansas, and his presence gives this nonconference meeting a little extra edge for a program that knows how often these November games can linger beyond the final buzzer. [Read more 🡒]
Jaxon Kohler Could Force A Major Michigan State Rotation Decision
Jaxon Kohlers offseason has become one of the more interesting variables in Michigan States roster planning, because the Spartans have already moved as if his college career was winding down. Tom Izzo and his staff recruited new pieces with that assumption in mind, adding four freshmen and a transfer to help fill the frontcourt and overall depth chart, while also trying to keep the roster balanced for another run in the Big Ten.
Now Kohlers future is tied to the NCAAs new 5-in-5 rule, and the possibility of another season would give Michigan State a very different look than the one it has been building toward. A return would meaningfully boost the teams returning production and force a real rotation decision in East Lansing, but his playing location remains uncertain for now, leaving the Spartans to prepare for one version of the roster while keeping another in the back of their minds. [Read more 🡒]