QB Dia Bell, No. 9 in 2026 ESPN 300, commits to Texas

QB Dia Bell, No. 9 in 2026 ESPN 300, commits to Texas

ByELI LEDERMAN

June 17, 2024, 4:59 PM

Dia Bell, the No. 2 pocket passer and No. 9 over prospect in the 2026 ESPN 300, committed to Texas Monday afternoon.

Bell, a 6-foot-3 quarterback from Florida's American Heritage High School, is the third top-10 commit in the 2026 class, joining Ohio State wide receiver pledge Chris Henry Jr. (No. 2 in ESPN 300) and top-quarterback prospect Jared Curtis, who committed to Georgia on March 24.

Bell is the son of former NBA veteran Raja Bell, a former standout at Florida International who spent 12 NBA seasons across stops with the Philadelphia 76ers, Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, Charlotte Bobcats and Golden State Warriors. The younger Bell averaged 20.7 points per game during his freshman season as a point guard at American Heritage.

The Longhorns first offered Bell following a visit to Austin on March 19 and his commitment comes less than three weeks after he attended Texas' Elite Camp on the first weekend of June. Bell's other spring visits included trips to Auburn, Miami and Penn State.

Bell's pledge hands Steve Sarkisian his second and highest-rated commit in the Longhorns' 2026 class, joining ESPN 300 running back Raycine Guillory -- the 18th-ranked running back in 2026 -- who committed to Texas on Jan. 20. With Bell in the fold, the Longhorns' long-term quarterback depth is set to include 2025 commit K.J. Lacey (No. 9 pocket passer in 2025), 2024 signee Trey Owens (No. 17 pocket passer in 2024) and second-year quarterback Arch Manning.

Texas entered the month of June at No. 16 in ESPN's team recruiting rankings for the 2025 class.