Texas football is gearing up for its revenge tour for next season and beyond after losing the National Championship to Washington last season. The Longhorns have put together a star-studded recruiting class, and their latest addition may be the most important one yet.
Texas landed 2026 five-star quarterback Dia Bell on Monday, who sounded off about his affinity for the program, via On3's Hayes Fawcett.
“I really enjoyed my visits and have developed great relationships with Coach Sark and Milwee,” Bell said. “They are one of the best offenses in the country and have a track record of development at my position. I’m really excited about their move to the SEC and the opportunity to help bring a championship to the 40 acres.”
Dia is the son of former NBA star Raja Bell, who played for 12 years and was an All-Defense honoree twice. Dia, who hails from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, chose Texas over LSU and Penn State due to his strong relationship with the staff.
“I have a great relationship with both Coach Sark and Coach Milwee,” Bell said. “I speak more often with coach Milwee though. I have really good relationships with a lot of the Coaches on staff. They have always been honest and up front throughout the entire process. They showed me the plan on how they would develop me and get me ready to be the QB of Texas Football one day.”
How will the Longhorns fare in the newly expanded SEC over the next few years?
Bell and Texas football will have their work cut out for them
Texas now has the 16th-best 2025 class, and the fifth-best 2026 group, via 247 Sports' composite rankings. The '26 group includes Bell and three-star athlete Raycine Guillory out of Aledo, Texas.
While Steve Sarkisian's squad will undoubtedly be one of the most talented in the country, its move to the SEC won't be a walk in the park. The conference, which sports regular powerhouses like Alabama and Georgia, is the best in the nation. On top of that, it's also adding Oklahoma, who won eight Big 12 titles between 2010 and 2020.
Although Bell is 247's fourth-ranked quarterback for 2026, don't expect him to immediately dominate defenses when he debuts for the Longhorns. The SEC is known to humble underclassmen, as many of its defensive players are NFL-bound. LSU, for example, is nicknamed “DBU” or “Defensive Back University” due to the amount of safeties and cornerbacks it sends to the big leagues.
Bell, who tossed 1,929 yards and 20 touchdowns in his sophomore year of high school, has the talent to succeed at the next level. However, Sarkisian and company will have to mold him properly, or else he'll get eaten alive by the SEC sharks.
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