5-Star QB Texas Commit Dia Bell Shines in Senior Season Opener

As Texas Longhorns fans are circling their calendars and anxiously waiting for Aug. 30, high school football is kicking off around the country. One of the schools that began its 2025 football season this weekend was American Heritage, out of Plantation, Florida. That is also the school that the top recruit in the Texas 2026 recruiting class attends.

5-star quarterback Dia Bell, who committed to the Longhorns on June 17, is ranked as the No.1 QB in the class of 2026. As he begins his final high school season, he’ll ensure he maintains his spot at the top while giving Texas fans a taste of his talent.

American Heritage High School kicked off its first game of the season on Friday, facing off against MacArthur. American Heritage secured a 23-14 victory with help from Bell, who only played the first half of the game.

Bell finished the game with an 85% completion rate on just 14 passes, with two touchdowns as well. He displayed his mobility, both in the run and pass game, showcasing his talents that earned him the ranking of the No. 4 player in the class overall.

What was probably his best play of the night came when he delivered a 39-yard touchdown on the run. After the ball was snapped, the pocket began to crumble, Bell rolled outside and delivered a ball that went about 44 yards in the air, and hit his receiver perfectly in stride right around the goal line.

With Texas holding Arch Manning for the upcoming season, and maybe even one more after, Texas is in no hurry for the talented quarterback to get to Austin. Although once he does, he’ll either have ample time to learn behind Manning or former 4-stars KJ Lacey or Trey Owens, or he’ll fight with the latter two for the starting job as a freshman.

It will be interesting to see how the rest of the season will pan out for Bell and if he’ll manage to keep the top spot among the 2026 quarterbacks. This was only a preview of his full skill set, but Longhorns fans can keep an eye out for Bell through the rest of the season. American Heritage will next face the St. Joseph’s Hawks on Friday.