Dillon Bell to Georgia: "I couldn't hold it in anymore"

Dillon Bell did not head to Athens (Ga.) planning to commit before he left, but that is what happened. The 6-foot-2, 200 pound athlete out of Kinkaid (Texas) spent a couple of days at Georgia and before leaving, he committed to the Bulldogs.

He planned to announce his decision next week, but he decided that was too long.

“I couldn’t hold it in anymore,” said Bell. “I knew Friday that I was going to Georgia and I want to tell the world about it. I see great opportunities for me at Georgia and I get to play for great coaches.

“The players are very welcoming, the coaches welcomed me with open arms and I know Georgia is the school for me.”

Due to the pandemic, Bell’s school only played seven games last season but they went on to win the state championship.

He plays all over the field for Kinkaid and he scored three touchdowns rushing and added one passing. Georgia offered him to play wide receiver.

Bonding with the coaches

Bell camped at Georgia in June and after that performance, the Bulldogs turned up the heat. They started keeping in touch more. They showed Bell he was a priority. At during the visits and the consistent communication, the new commit bonded with the coaches in Athens.

“Coach Hank is a great teacher. He showed me a lot and he taught me a lot at camp. He took his time with me. It was great working with him. I know he can make me better. He already did and he took his time with me to make sure I got it right.

“Coach Smart has great character and I love his energy. He is honest, he is genuine and he is just my kind of guy. I like his style as a coach, I like how he treats his players and I know he’s going to continue to be successful.”

Reunited

Georgia signed wide receiver Adonai Mitchell out of Tennessee in 2021. Mitchell is originally from Texas and he and Bell played together in middle school. Mitchell was an early enrollee and made a strong impression in the off-season and now he and Bell will get to play together again.

“It is crazy,” Bell said about playing with Mitchell again. “We were close in middle school and we worked out with the same trainer. I hung out with him a lot when at Georgia and it is going to be a strong duo with us on the field together at Georgia.”

Bell felt like part of the team already and described it as a brotherhood in Athens.

NFL comparisons

He gave Hankton the news first early Saturday morning. The two were talking and Bell told the Georgia coach that he was going to commit next week. Hankton wanted the news then, and he got it.

“Coach Hank thought I was playing with him when I told him about my plan to commit,” said Bell. “He didn’t want to wait, so I told him about my decision and he got me with coach Smart right after that.

“They were so excited to have me and they love how I move, how strong I am and what I can do on the field. They compared me to AJ Brown and Chris Godwin, so they really like my game a lot.”