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Texas’ 5-Star QB Commit Rolls Out the Red Carpet for Longhorns’ Latest Addition

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nate Lunak | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 3:30 PM ET

One of the Texas Longhorns' biggest recent additions has been five-star quarterback Dia Bell, who had committed to the program back on June 17, 2024.

He fits in nicely with an impressive 2026 recruiting class from head coach Steve Sarkisian that features a total of 16 players, ranking No. 7 in the SEC and No. 16 in the nation, per On3.

The latest addition to that group came on Thursday in the form of linebacker Kosi Okpala, who had taken six visits with the Longhorns, including an official one on June 20.

The news would quickly catch the attention of Bell, who had a two-word message for his future teammate, saying, "Welcome home @Kosi_Okpala #HookEm #AllGas26," via an X post.

Welcome home @Kosi_Okpala #HookEm #AllGas26 https://t.co/YBp1BAObhU
— Dia Bell 2026 QB (@DiaBell3QB1) July 3, 2025

On3 Industry Rankings place Okpala as a four-star recruit, the No. 19 linebacker, the No. 35 player in Texas and the No. 283 player in the nation, giving the Longhorns a reason to be excited.

In his two seasons at the varsity level for Mayde Creek High School, he has been a productive player, accumulating 121 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, seven sacks, 29 hurries, three pass deflections and three forced fumbles.

His decision to join Texas also comes after he took official visits with several other programs, including the Penn State Nittany Lions (May 30), the Miami Hurricanes (June 6) and the Baylor Bears (June 13).

Okpala is also the only linebacker the Longhorns have landed in this year's cycle, while the On3 recruiting prediction machine does give them the second-best chance to land four-star Calvin Thomas (20.8% ), behind the Nebraska Cornhuskers (77.1%).

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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