QB Bell, No. 9 in ’26 ESPN 300, commits to Texas

Eli Lederman, ESPNJun 17, 2024, 04:35 PM ET

Dia Bell, the No. 2 pocket passer and No. 9 overall 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, who was a standout at Florida International and 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 after 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, with Bell 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.