A.D. Mitchell sees Dillon Bell as potential freshman standout, just as he did

Georgia Football relied on its freshmen last season. Brock Bowers and A.D. Mitchell were true freshmen. Ladd McConkey was a redshirt freshman. Those youngsters were ready to answer the call when needed because they had been developed and prepared for the moment, even if they weren’t the No. 1 option going into the season. Others that the Bulldogs played can’t say the same…

Taking a shot at Alabama isn’t the point of this story though. The point is, it’s important to bring those freshmen along because you never know when they might be thrown into the fire. For Georgia in 2022, that time could come sooner than later at wide receiver with depth at the position a concern going into camp and Arian Smith already being sidelined following ankle surgery. Mitchell, who had to step up as a freshman after he saw George Pickens injured in the spring, saw this as an opportunity to share a message with the four freshmen receivers that Georgia signed in the Class of 2022.

“I’ve seen a whole lot of great things. Lot of guys flying around, a whole lot of plays being made. Biggest thing is just pushing through,” Mitchell said. “It’s different when you come out here. It’s like, ‘Oh, we just had a punt period where I was the missile and now I have to go run a go route.’ Just push through it and just take it one play at a time.”

When asked if there was any player in particular he’s taken under his wing, Mitchell quickly responded with Dillon Bell. “Little Dillon” as he referred to him is somebody he’s known for quite some time. Both grew up in the Houston area, and according to Mitchell, their relationship goes back to when Bell was in sixth grade.

Mitchell isn’t the first person to bring Bell up as a standout freshman, or one that is going to have to contribute this season. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart did just that too earlier during preseason practice.

“He has worked his way into rotation by necessity,” Smart said when asked about Bell after Georgia’s first scrimmage of the season. “We don’t have the depth at the position. It is every year. I don’t think that across the country you will see four senior wide outs. Show me where you have four senior wide outs. Show me where you have two seniors and two juniors. Wide outs are very similar where if they don’t get the ball, they are gone. You constantly have new players. If they are really good they are gone to the draft. That is where one of our juniors is. Everything is cyclical. Right now at wide out, we don’t have great depth and we have a couple injuries. Those young guys are getting thrust out there, and they have to go up. We have done it before. We’ve had productive young wide receivers.”

Bell was a do-it-all player in high school, helping lead the Kinkaid School to a 9-2 record and an SPC 4A Championship during his senior season. He finished that year with 662 receiving yards, 46 catches (14.4 yards per catch) and 10 receiving touchdowns to go along with 655 rushing yards on 101 carries (6.5 yards per carry) and 14 rushing touchdowns. Bell also threw for 164 yards and three scores, bringing his touchdown total to 27 in all during his season season. For his efforts, he was named Offensive Player of the Year by the Houston Touchdown Club.

“Dilllon (Bell) made some plays today. Jackson (Meeks) made some plays today, if he counts as young. Right now these sophomore aren’t young. These sophomores are old. If you count, 40 to 35 percent of our team are freshmen. I thought Dillon Bell stepped up and made some plays. I thought Oscar (Delp) made some plays at tight end. We have him as a receiving weapon. Those guys continue to do a good job. We just don’t have the depth at receiver. I thought (Marcus) Rosemy-Jacksaint did good job today. Adonai (Mitchell) made a few plays,” Smart said after that same scrimmage, rolling through the names of young wideouts the impressed. “We are going to have to be really good at the perimeter to be explosive. We have our tight ends, but we have to be good outside to compliment the tight ends. We need to get De’Nylon (Morrissette) back, and we need to get Dillon Bell rolling to get where we need to get at wide out.”