The recruiting trail is hot for the Texas Longhorns as they recently landed five-star quarterback Dia Bell. The Florida-native is currently tabbed as the third-best quarterback in the Class of 2026, behind only Jared Curtis and Faizon Brandon. He got brutally honest about his recruitment ahead of the prestigious Elite 11 Finals.
At this week’s Elite 11 Finals, Bell is out to prove to not only his future team, the Longhorns, but every other team with eyes on him that he is indeed the best quarterback in this class.
Texas Longhorns’ Dia Bell Isn’t Closing Doors on Other Teams Who Reach Out To Him Yet
Bell joins nine other Longhorns’ quarterbacks who have taken part in the Elite 11. This list includes the likes of Vince Young back in 2001, Jevan Snead in 2005, Garrett Gilbert in 2008, Jerrod Heard in 2013, Shane Buechele in 2015, Sam Ehlinger in 2016, Hudson Card in 2019, Maalik Murphy in 2021, and KJ Lacey in 2024.
Quinn Ewers, who signal-called the Longhorns’ offense the past two seasons, participated in 2021, only to finish sixth. However, Bell already has his eyes on his college football destination.
Texas 5-star QB commit Dia Bell is aiming to show people why he’s the ‘best’ at the Elite 11 Finals, he tells @ChadSimmons_🤘
Read: https://t.co/H8Wsdlxs3O pic.twitter.com/0oKVfKcGx8
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) June 16, 2025
“The Elite 11 is a huge thing for quarterbacks, so it is an honor for me to be in the Finals this week,” Bell told On3’s Chad Simmons earlier this week. “I have been going to camps since I was in middle school, trying to get my name out there, and being in this event was always a goal for me.”
“As a recruit, you want to be a top guy, so being in the Elite 11 Finals means I get to compete with the best. Being invited and being able to compete means a lot.”
A big reason he wants to compete in the Elite 11 Finals is to give other coaches and scouts a chance to get their eyes on him. When talking to the media, Bell said, “I am open to hearing from coaches until I sign.”
This means that Bell, despite committing to Texas already, isn’t officially untouchable yet. The Bulldogs are one team that has offered him so far, and even more are expected to come through.
It remains to be seen where Bell will wind up. He could very well continue the course and wind up as a Longhorn. However, it’s interesting to note that he is still listening to offers despite seemingly committing to the Texas football program. One thing we know for sure is that he has a lot of eyes on him.
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