Because he was not an early enrollee, wide receiver Dillon Bell’s adjustment to life as a Georgia Bulldog came a little later in the game than most.

It wasn’t easy.

When summer workouts with strength coach Scott Sinclair are among your first exposures to college life, well, it can be more than a little tough.

“Summer workouts. I won’t lie, I almost cried one time. It was a struggle,” Bell said. “My eyes just started getting watery, and I was like, dang. But yeah, it was in the weight room when I realized that yeah, this was for real.”

Fortunately for Bell, what was tough made him stronger, and after making it through summer strength and conditioning drills, he was able to focus on what it took to become a contributor in the wide receiver room.

His season-ending stats were certainly respectable enough for a first-year player. Bell played in all 15 games, catching 20 passes for 180 yards and three touchdowns, including one in the SEC Championship victory over LSU.

“I started out trying to get some confidence, knowing that you’re playing on a bigger stage,” Bell said. “I was a little nervous. But then I saw I could help this team win, so gaining that confidence helped me out a lot.”

A mid-season challenge by head coach Kirby Smart helped spur Bell to greater things.

After catching just three passes over Georgia’s first three games, Bell caught 12 over his next five contests for 128 yards and a touchdown.

“The challenges are opportunities," Smart said back during midseason. “Something about playing receiver that you really need to do it in a game to get the utmost confidence, and Dillon’s probably got a little bit of that.”

Bell feels his best is still to come.

In high school, the Texas native did not just play wide receiver.

Along with wide receiver, Bell rushed for over 600 yards and 14 touchdowns while serving as his team’s Wildcat quarterback, throwing for 164 yards and three scores.

“In high school, I always had to do it all,” Bell said. “I never focused on one position, but now I can just focus on the one position and not have to worry about doing anything else.”

Looking ahead to spring practice, Bell said there’s plenty he still needs to improve.

“My release point, having the correct mechanics, shaking the defender as I go for the deep ball,” Bell said. “Coach B-Mac (Bryan McClendon) is a really great coach; he’s taught us a lot. I really love how he’s helping us all improve in every area.”