The future of the quarterback position for the Texas Longhorns is much more secure after Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage star Dia Bell signed with head coach Steve Sarkisian’s program on Wednesday as the first official signee in the 2026 recruiting class.
The ideal and the norm for top classes is to secure a high-profile quarterback early in the cycle and that’s exactly what the Longhorns accomplished in landing Bell’s commitment in June 2024 over 40-plus programs, including Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Washington, and others.
Bell is the son of former NBA shooting guard Raja Bell, who played in the Association for 12 seasons. The younger Bell also plays basketball like his father and averaged 20 points per game as a freshman, while also averaging five assists and 4.6 rebounds per game.
On the gridiron as a junior, Bell completed 161 of 228 passes (70.6 percent) for 2,597 yards with 29 touchdowns and six interceptions, running for 561 yards and five touchdowns on 8.4 yards per carry.
Here’s the 247Sports evaluation of Bell:
Crafty quarterback prospect with a well-rounded game that has shown year-over-year improvement. Had junior campaign cut short due to injury, but put strong spells of play on tape while navigating through one of the more difficult schedules in the country. Frequently calm and collected in the pocket and isn’t one to flinch in the face of pressure as he uses his above-average athleticism to extend plays and get out of trouble. Smooth stroke and cleaner mechanics allow him to layer the football to the second level and exploit tight coverage windows. Utilizes plenty of touch on his deep shots and will lead his wide receivers to the promise land. Has gotten better at working through his progressions, but must keep evolving as a field reader and understand when the risk might outweigh the reward. Likely to undergo a major physical transformation in the coming years as in-person evaluations suggest that the body – which is equipped with big 10-inch hands – is still maturing. Overall, should be viewed as a mobile signal caller with some natural arm talent that is starting to put it all together as he enters senior season with a 19-4 record as a starter. Must avoid setbacks and get healthy, but will eventually have a chance to be a difference-maker on Saturdays as he has shown that he can make things happen both on and off-script.
After winning Elite 11 MVP honors during the summer, Bell suffered an injury that ended his high school career.
Given the exceptional body of work the 6’2.5, 215-pounder put worth before the unfortunate setback, it hasn’t hurt his recruiting rankings — Bell remains a consensus five-star prospect ranked as the No. 9 player nationally and the No. 4 quarterback, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
With Arch Manning having two seasons of eligibility remaining, but unlikely to remain at Texas after the 2026 season, Bell will have a chance to develop before facing a quarterback competition with KJ Lacey and the 2027 signee for the Longhorns.