From the moment Judah Bell stepped on the Hilltop, he drew comparisons to Courtland Sutton. It’s easy to see why.

Bell, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs in at more than 200 pounds, has a build that resembles that of the blue-chip NFL prospect. He also showed that he had the potiential to be the same type of playmaker that Sutton was. His high school statistics prove it. He caught 110 passes for 2,352 yards and 18 touchdowns in his senior season at Bishop T.K. Gorman in Tyler. That statline was enough for him to be named a Parade All-American.

Still, Bell didn’t see the field at all in 2017. Stuck behind several veteran receivers, Chad Morris’ staff decided to redshirt him. But this spring, Bell was one of just five healthy receivers. He finally had a chance to prove himself. He finally had a chance to show that he belonged on the field.

It’s safe to say that he capitalized on that opportunity.

“He’s night and day from where he was at the start of Spring practice,” SMU offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said.

But Bell’s breakout spring was threatened from the beginning. At the beginning of the semester, Bell was sick. The illness lasted for a few weeks, and really hurt his conditioning. But he endured, and things started to return to normal as the practices wore on.

“As spring ball went on, I just took it day by day and progressed,” Bell said. “Leading up to this game, I think I had some of my best days.”

Once he recovered from the illness, Bell said that he was able to put on about 15 pounds. But he still had to learn how to use his size, and his frame properly. Bell says that he thinks he was able to improve in that aspect of his game. SMU’s coaches agree.

“He’s our biggest wideout,” Lashlee said. “On the perimeter, he’s really starting to learn the physical part of the game. I think he’s starting to realize that he’s bigger than a lot of these defensive backs and he can push them around more.”

Now, Bell not only looks like Sutton, he’s starting to play like him too. In SMU’s spring game, he caught three passes for 71 yards, and flashed some big-play ability. He could emerge as a breakout player at a position where SMU sorely needs one.

This summer, Bell wants to put on some more weight. He wants to keep getting bigger, to keep getting more physical. But he wants to make sure that he’s not sacrificing speed for size.

“It’s important to be big, strong and physical, but at the same time this is a game of speed,” Bell said. “That’s really the biggest thing: speed.”