A former collegiate standout is returning to the state where he found his greatest success.

Ronnie Bell, who played five seasons at Michigan and tallied 889 yards and four touchdowns on 62 receptions in his final season with the Wolverines, signed a Reserve/Futures contract with the Detroit Lions on Tuesday. A futures deal doesn’t go into effect immediately, but it does mean Bell is scheduled to be on Detroit’s 90-man roster when the new league year starts in March.

The Lions signed 11 other players to futures deals Monday.

Bell was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers with the No. 253 overall pick in 2023, and he appeared in all 17 regular-season games as a rookie. He was targeted 13 times, pulling down six catches for 68 yards and three scores. He also saw some light work on special teams, seeing 13 snaps.

The 6-foot, 190-pound Bell played in nine games this season. He finished with 22 yards on two catches.

Bell helped Michigan win 13 games in 2022 before the Wolverines fell in the semifinals against TCU; he tallied 135 receiving yards and a touchdown in the playoff game.