Texas Recruiting: Steve Sarkisian built an “ultra-competitive” QB room

Dia Bell COMMITS to Texas Longhorns | Top 5 2026 Is the last Domino falling off the board | Scoop preview

Texas pulled a huge surprise on the recruiting trail Monday by landing the elite 2026 quarterback from Fort Lauderdale (Fla.). Dia Bell.

Bell, the No. 2 quarterback of the 2026 out of 300chose the Longhorns over Miami, Ohio State, LSU, Penn State and more.

On3’s Steve Wiltfong joined Josh Newberg on the football recruiting show Inside Scoop to explain Bell’s decision and what it means for Texas and other 2026 QBs moving forward.

“Dia Bell did some more touring this summer to see some of her best shows,” Wiltfong said. “It started with Texas on June 1st. He came back to Ohio State and LSU, but Texas has been hot here since the spring visit. He talked about being fortunate to be coached by Steve Sarkisian and AJ Milwee. He loved that little experience of being coached by those guys at camp in June, he wants to make that permanent. He called it “an incredible program with a great tradition that plays for national championships.” He talked about Sark’s track record with guys like Bryce Young. He said (Sarkissian’s) offense translates and prepares his players for the next level.

“Texas has everything they’re looking for, from the stage to the coaching to the atmosphere. He made a few last minute visits this summer, he wanted to get off the board and now he’s a Longhorn. He will help Texas recruit that 2025 class, he can help them advance among the national elite in 2026.”

Texas QB recruiting remains hot

Texas already has a loaded quarterback room on campus in Austin and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change in the near future. Four-star quarterback from Saraland (Ala.) KJ Lacey has been committed to the Longhorns for over a year, and of course, Bell is now added to the mix.

“When you combine the (transfer) portal and high school recruiting, no one recruits the quarterback position better, collectively,” Wiltfong said of Steve Sarkisian. “Entering the portal and landing Quinn Ewersto then land Arch Manning. You have KJ Lacey committed to 2025 and now you have Dia Bell committed to 2026. There’s a standard in this room, it’s ultra-competitive. These guys from powerhouse high school programs who are used to winning a lot of games with great coaching.

“He’s got a guy he’s looking for – these guys check the boxes and the Texas quarterback room is built for years to come.”

For more information on recruiting in Texas, visit Inside Texas.

More QB dominoes on the way?

Nashville Christian Quarterback Jared Curtis, the No. 1 signal-caller in the On3 industry rankings, has already left the set with a commitment to Georgia. Curtis and Bell are currently the only two rookies committed to the 2026 top-10 QBs, but Bell’s move could speed things up for other prospects.

“Well, I think he’s lucky that he was able to get out and hit the road and see some of his favorite schools,” Wiltfong said of Bell being announced so early. “Obviously we saw Jared Curtis commit to Georgia early and now Dia Bell commit to Texas.

“Maybe it will put some urgency among their peers here in the 2026 class, because guys like Fazon Brandon take the road; Brady Smigiel; Jaden O’Neal; Troy Huhn; Brady Hart; Jonas Williams. Some of these guys all seem to have schools on their respective rosters. But Dia Bell, he was able to go out and see his favorite schools multiple times and make an informed decision.