ATHENS — Yes it was a 63-3 game largely against backups. But it was hard not to be intrigued by Dillon Bell’s potential in the Orange Bowl win over Florida State.

He caught 5 passes for 86 yards, all in the first half of the win. He brought down two 30-plus receptions, showcasing his growth as a wide receiver, something he wasn’t always repping as a full-time player in 2023.

Bell spent time working at the running back position last season due to a litany of injuries the Bulldogs suffered. Bell greatly helped Georgia navigate a rough patch, even if it came at the expense of his own development.

To this point in 2024, Bell has been able to focus mostly on playing receiver. And he seems poised to build off what he did to end the 2023 season.

“He’s listed at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, but in the open field he looks about 6-foot-4, 235,” ESPN’s Bill Connelly wrote of Bell. “Bell is already a semi-proven red zone threat, and he was UGA’s No. 1 receiver over the final four games of the season, with gains of 35 and 31 against Florida State and 24, 21, 19 and 17 against Tennessee.”

“Bell’s potential jumps off the television screen, and he began to live up to it late last fall.”

Connelly believes Bell is one of the more important players in the sport of college football, due to his potential role in the Georgia offense.

Following the dismissal of Rara Thomas, Bell is likely to be Georgia’s top option at the X receiver position. And with really only Colbie Young behind him at the position in terms of proven college commodities, Georgia is counting on Bell to really break out this fall.

With Bell largely focusing on playing wide receiver, Georgia has him working diligently to nail some of the nuances of the position.

“Coach (James) Coley has really done a nice job teaching him the finer points of route running and execution, those little things, playing with pad level, working your releases off press, and just becoming a complete receiver,” Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said on Thursday of Bell.

Georgia does have to replace Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint on the outside, following a strong four-year career for the Bulldogs.

Bell is entering his third season at Georgia. He impressed Todd Monken in his first year with the program. He built off of that last season, slowly developing as a versatile weapon.

“Dillon did a great job for us last year making contested catches, which is awesome,” Bobo said. “We’re now working on trying to create more space and how to create more space. A lot of times, he is our X receiver. He’s in the boundary. When you’re in the boundary in this league, you’re not going to get any off-coverage. You’re going to get press. How do you handle press, how do I beat press? Really working on the finer points of winning one-on-one battles.”

Bell finished last season with 29 receptions for 355 yards and 2 receiving touchdowns. He added another 157 rushing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns on the ground as well.

In 2024, Georgia will hope that Bell builds off all of those numbers, while still being able to rely on his versatility when need be.

Bell has never shied away from comparisons to San Francisco 49ers All-Pro Deebo Samuel, someone the Georgia receiver openly admires. If he plays as Samuel does for the 49ers, you won’t have to look through rose-colored glasses to see just how impactful Bell can be for the Georgia program.