Texas made a huge surprise splash on the recruiting trail Monday by landing Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage elite 2026 quarterback Dia Bell.
Bell, the No. 2 quarterback in the 2026 On300, chose the Longhorns over Miami, Ohio State, LSU, Penn State and more.
On3’s Steve Wiltfong joined Josh Newberg on the Inside Scoop football recruiting show to break down Bell’s decision and what this means for Texas and other 2026 QBs going forward.
“Dia Bell made some rounds again this summer to see some of his top programs,” Wiltfong said. “That started with Texas on June 1. Made it back to Ohio State and LSU, but Texas has been trending here since the spring visit. He’s talked about getting a chance to be coached by Steve Sarkisian and A.J. Milwee. He loved that small experience of getting coached by those guys in camp in June, he wants to make it permanent. He’s called it an ‘amazing program with great tradition that’s playing for national championships.’ He’s talked about Sark’s track record with guys like Bryce Young. He said (Sarkisian’s) offense translates and prepares his players for the next level.
“Texas has everything he’s looking for from the stage to the coaching to the atmosphere. He made some last-minute visits this summer, he wanted to come off the board and now he’s a Longhorn. He’ll help Texas recruit this 2025 class, he’ll be able to help them get ahead with some of the nation’s elite in 2026.”
Texas QB recruiting stays hot
Texas already has a loaded quarterback room on campus in Austin and it does not look like that is going to change in the near future. Saraland (Ala.) four-star quarterback K.J. Lacey has been committed to the Longhorns for over a year, and of course, now Bell is added to the mix.
“When you combine the (Transfer) Portal and high school recruiting, no one is recruiting the quarterback position better, collectively,” Wiltfong said of Steve Sarkisian. “From going into the Portal and landing Quinn Ewers, to then landing Arch Manning. You have K.J. Lacey committed in 2025 and now you have Dia Bell committed in 2026. There’s a standard in that room, it’s uber-competitive. These guys from powerhouse high school programs that are used to winning a lot of games with great coaching.
“He has a type that he’s looking for — these guys are checking the boxes and Texas’ quarterback room is built for years to come.”
For more Texas recruiting intel, check out InsideTexas.
More QB dominos on the way?
Nashville Christian quarterback Jared Curtis, the top signal-caller in the On3 Industry Ranking, is already off the board with a commitment to Georgia. Curtis and Bell are currently the only two committed recruits out of the top 10 2026 QBs, but Bell’s decision could speed things up for other prospects.
“Well, I think he’s fortunate that he’s been able to get out and get on the road and see some of his favorite schools,” Wiltfong said of Bell making such an early announcement. “Obviously, we’ve seen Jared Curtis commit early to Georgia and now Dia Bell committing to Texas.
“Maybe this will put some urgency in come of their peers here in the 2026 class as guys like Faizon Brandon hit the road; Brady Smigiel; Jaden O’Neal; Troy Huhn; Brady Hart; Jonas Williams. Some of these guys all seem to have schools on their respective shortlists. But Dia Bell, he was able to go out and see his favorite schools multiple times and make an informed decision.”
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