How Arch Manning's Decision to Come to Texas Helped Longhorns Land 5-Star QB Dia Bell

Texas Longhorns QB commit Dia Bell has a lot to like about the Texas Longhorns

Recruits Dia Bell and Byron Louis watch Ohio State warm up before playing Penn State Oct. 21, 2023 at Ohio Stadium. / Lori Schmidt / Columbus Dispatch / USA

Over two years later, the commitment of Arch Manning is still paying dividends for the Texas Longhorns.

The Longhorns landed a massive commitment last month when 2026 five-star American Heritage (Fort Lauderdale, FL) QB Dia Bell became the first pledge of class for Steve Sarkisian.

And according to Bell in an interview with On3, the track record of Sarkisian, and the decision of Manning to trust the Longhorns with his development both played major roles in his own choice.

“For me, it was honestly — coach Sark has a great background of quarterbacks back at Alabama. Obviously, he’s coached in the NFL, too, so he has the whole nine when it comes to coaching,” Bell said in the interview. “Obviously like you said, they’ve got guys like Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning. For me, it was kind of a no-brainer when you look at his background."

“Knowing that the Manning family was very comfortable sending their pride to Texas was also another factor. They have to know that they know what they’re doing over there, or else he wouldn’t be going there. All those things played a factor, and also I felt like I had a great fit with the culture around there. Those all played factors in me picking Texas.”

Obviously, as we saw with Manning, the commitment of a stud QB can have a massive impact on a recruiting class.

Bell has already proven that as well, with 2026 four-star Shadow Creed (Pearland, TX) receiver Chris Stewart committing to the Horns just a week later.

Bell ranks as a five-star recruit, the No. 10 overall player, the No. 2 QB in the nation, and the no. 1 player in Florida per the 247 Sports Composite Ranking. Meanwhile, On3, Rivals.com, and 247Sports have Bell as a four-star recruit individually. On3 is the highest of that bunch on Bell, ranking him as the No. 14 player in the country, No. 2 QB, and No. 1 player in Florida.

Over the past two seasons, he’s gone 135 of 210 passing for 2,246 yards, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions while adding 58 rushes for 116 yards and three more scores. He even appeared in four varsity games as an eighth grader.

And if he continues to develop and rise in the recruiting rankings, his impact should continue to increase for the Longhorns' efforts on the trail.