Dia Bell can ‘definitely fit in’ as next top Texas QB recruit
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (BVM) – The Texas Longhorns have put themselves at the forefront of any discussion surrounding top college football quarterbacks. The program has quite a collection from over the years including Vince Young and Colt McCoy and the current depth chart is the deepest in the country.
Quinn Ewers is one of the nation’s best and he is backed up by former five-star QB Arch Manning. There is also a lot of internal excitement surrounding incoming freshman Trey Owens.
As excited as fans are about the present, the future of the position is expected to be just as good.
Texas landed a commitment on June 17 from Dia Bell, one of the top players in the country in the 2026 recruiting class. The junior signal caller from American Heritage School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is ranked as the No. 5 player in the nation and the No. 2 QB by ESPN.
New Longhorns QB Commit Dia Bell is Going to be Great in Sark’s Offense 🤘 pic.twitter.com/magoCLbaQo
— Orangebloods.com (@orangebloods_) June 17, 2024
“I just love the culture and the coaches over there,” Bell said. “I love everything about the program. You can’t deny that Sark (Sarkisian) has done a great job with his quarterbacks. I feel like I could definitely fit in with what they are doing over there in Austin.”
Bell has all of the potential in the world to not only succeed at the college level but the professional level as well. His traits on the field will take him a long way, but it is his mental makeup at his age that could propel him to another level.
The young quarterback already handles himself like a pro, likely due to his father, Raja. NBA fans will remember his dad who spent 12 years in the association and was regarded as an elite defender.
“Hard work was something my dad always preached to me,” Bell said. “I learned exactly what it took to get to where I wanted to be.”
Bell played basketball too growing up and he still does. With his father being an NBA veteran, he thought that would be his path, but that changed around the time the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020.
The combination of not being able to get time on the courts and the realization of wanting to create his own legacy, led to him shifting his focus toward the gridiron.
“I wanted to be able to write my own story,” Bell said.
Thanks to @UANextFootball and QB Coaches @CoachAaronRHA and @Jblake_8 for a great weekend at #UaNext Future 50! 🤘🏽#HookEm pic.twitter.com/KbCngdtr44
— Dia Bell 2026 QB (@DiaBell3QB1) July 1, 2024
Around that same time, Bell made the prestigious American Heritage varsity roster as an eighth grader, serving as the team’s backup quarterback.
“I was like, ‘People see stuff in me,’” Bell said. “I was doing the right things and was seeing the results from the work I was doing. I felt like I could do something with it.”
He quickly blossomed into a star QB recruit when he got his chance, earning offers from nearly all the top football programs across the country. The recruiting process could be overwhelming for a standout signal caller, but Bell had a good supporting cast around him to help.
“All my mentors around me have always told me to focus on what I can because you only get to go through this process once, so I tried to enjoy it as much as I could,” Bell said.
Bell’s overall situation is still a unique one.
A Texas QB commit garners national attention and that is no different for Bell. His life is much different than a typical high school junior with added pressure on and off the field, but it is something he has embraced.
DIA BELL JUKED HIM 😱
What a touchdown run by @DiaBell3QB1!
American Heritage leads King’s Academy 36-7 with 1 minute left in the first half. pic.twitter.com/ijEKYWnGZy
— Isaac Edelman (@IsaacEdelman) November 19, 2023
“You are really like a college football player at this point, preparing yourself for the next level,” Bell said. “I try to enjoy everything in its own way because it’s a blessing.”
Bell may have high external expectations, but no one sets the bar higher for him than himself.
He has goals set of winning back-to-back state championships in high school before winning a national championship and a Heisman Trophy at Texas. These aspirations for Bell may seem lofty, but with his work ethic and talent, no goal is unachievable.
