New No. 1! Texas commit Dia Bell now top QB in 2026 recruiting class

USA Today

7 days ago

There's a new No. 1 QB in the 2026 recruiting class and it is none other than Texas Longhorns commit Dia Bell. The probable Arch Manning heir apparent has moved up the Rivals.com rankings thanks to a stellar summer highlighted by being named MVP of the Elite 11 camp.
Rivals has gone through a complete re-ranking of the top 300 2026 prospects. The Fort Lauderdale, FL signal caller is now the No. 2 player overall in class behind Miami Hurricanes offensive tackle commit Jackson Cantwell. Bell jumped Georgia Bulldogs QB commit Jared Curtis in the QB Rankings.
'From an arm talent perspective, Texas commit Dia Bell is as good as anyone in the 2026 cycle. He's the definition of a natural thrower. His ability to manipulate the football and throw consistently catchable footballs from multiple arm angles is a treat to watch. He can dice up defenses on Friday evenings and makes special throws. He's someone that has tons of upside especially as he develops and fills out his frame down the line.' -- Rivals scout Keegan Pope
The five-star has been committed to Texas for over a year. He becomes the fourth Longhorns QB commit since the mid 1990s to be ranked as either the No. 1 or No. 2 overall prospect in the nation. The others were Chris Simms (1999), Vince Young (2002) and Arch Manning (2023).
Bell, who was named the Florida Gatorade Player of the Year, had his 2024 season cut short due to a serious leg injury in Florida's state playoffs. But his performance at Elite 11 should put to rest any fears that the injury would impact Bell's longterm outlook.
During his junior year at American Heritage High School, the 6-foot-2 QB threw for 2,597 yards and 29 touchdowns, completing 70.6% of his passes.
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