Don't forget Dillon Bell in mix of Georgia receivers for 2023
Looking at Georgia’s receiver room for 2023, the Bulldogs are loaded. Ladd McConkey returns after leading the group in just about every category last season. Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint was top-five in catches and yards with a pair of touchdowns to his name. They added Dominic Lovett (Missouri) and Rara Thomas (Mississippi State) out of the transfer portal. And oh by the way, Brock Bowers might be listed as a tight end but he’s every bit of the weapon any wide receiver is. He’s back for a third season.
Don’t forget about Dillon Bell though. The Houston, Texas native played a big part for Georgia in 2022 appearing in all 15 games and finished the year with 20 catches for 180 yards and three touchdowns. With experience under his belt and opportunity awaiting, Bell is excited about year two at UGA.
“It’s been pretty physical. It’s required a lot of hard work,” Bell told DawgsHQ about his first season on campus during Georgia’s appearance in the College Football Playoffs. “There’s great competition every day, and that’s one of the reasons I came it. It’s also what I really love about this team. Everybody here is good, so no matter what I know I’m going to see great competition, and that’s what we want.”
When asked, Bell immediately had two players come to mind who were big for him during his first year with the team. Bell and AD Mitchell knew each other before Georgia, and Mitchell saw Bell as a potential breakout player during fall camp. He was right, and ironically, it came largely because Mitchell was out of the lineup. Furthermore, the veteran Rosemy-Jacksaint was helpful for him after arriving in Athens.
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“Always keep my composure no matter what,” Bell said some of the advice from them was. “Releases, work wise, how to break a DB, the amount of steps I’m supposed to take because I’m trying to learn the playbook, he (Mitchell) was my number one supporter for that. He helped me with that to get it down faster so I could be able to get on the field.”
Mitchell won’t be around for Bell to lean on in year two, but the 6-foot-1, 210-pound player out of The Kinkaid School shouldn’t need it quite as much. Instead, as someone who contributed early in his career, he’ll likely be asked to help mentor some of Georgia’s newcomers in the receiver room like Tyler Williams, Yazeed Haynes and fellow Longhorn State native Anthony Evans.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart challenged Bell to emerge as a productive player early in his freshman season. He’ll likely issue similar challenges to the youngsters Williams, Haynes and Evans as soon as this spring. But if one thing’s for sure, Smart shouldn’t have to challenge Bell anymore as he heads into his first set of spring practices. He’s already a part of the plan and should continue to grow into an even bigger role in his second year.
