For fans wondering who Kirby Smart is looking to fill the gap left by Ladd McConkey and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint heading off to the NFL, look no further than Dillon Bell.

The versatile Texas athlete–who also saw time at running back for the Bulldogs last fall–appears to be having an even larger role with the team this spring.

“He’s taken on a lot more of that Rosemy/Ladd role of being the guy that’s the workhorse in that group that never complains, is really physical, practices hard, sets a standard for the others,” Smart said. “I think him, RaRa (Thomas), Arian (Smith), and Dom (Lovett) all have taken ownership of that.”

As witnessed last season, all quarterback Carson Beck has to do with Bell is put the ball in his vicinity.

Bell is credited with making some of the tougher catches, routinely using his body to get between would-be defenders to bring down the ball.

He caught 29 passes for 355 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 25 carries for 157 yards and two scores.

“For him to continue to develop and, you know, kind of step into a bigger role where we have to rely on him to make plays, it’s definitely been something special,” Beck said. “And I think, you know, as the years continue to go, he’s only going to continue to step into that role even more.”

But he's part of a strong cast of characters. “D-Bell, along with the rest of us, we've been growing every which way we can,” Lovett said. “I kind of feel like we’re interchangeable parts. We can play each other’s positions. That makes us versatile, because you really don’t know who’s going to line up where.”

There’s a lot Bell can do, as indicated by these highlights from 2023:

…Rushed for 23 yards and a TD on seven attempts, adding a 16-yard reception in a win over South Carolina.

…Caught two passes for 21 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown catch, against Florida.

…Hauled in five catches for a career-high 90 yards and one receiving touchdown, adding an 18-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, in a win over Tennessee. He also recorded a 25-yard kickoff return against the Volunteers.

…In Georgia’s Orange Bowl 63-3 win over Florida State in the Orange Bowl, Bell caught five passes for 86 yards.

Per Smart, more is being expected, and if spring practice has been an indication, progress has been made.

“He’s continued to develop, continues to get better. He’s still a work in progress. He played high school running back. He played 25 percent running back last year,” Smart said. “The kid’s worked his tail off at receiver to get better, but there’s a lot of route running things he can get better at. The good thing is he’s got a quarterback the caliber of Carson to utilize his strengths, get him throws, get him 50-50 balls. I’m proud of the way he leads in practices.”