Longhorns Country

Texas Longhorns QB Commit Lands Another Major NIL Deal

A four-star Texas Longhorns quarterback commit has inked another NIL deal.
Zach Dimmitt|
American Heritage Patriots quarterback Dia Bell (3) scrambles in the backfield during the first quarter of a game against the Naples Golden Eagles at Staver Field in Naples on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024.
American Heritage Patriots quarterback Dia Bell (3) scrambles in the backfield during the first quarter of a game against the Naples Golden Eagles at Staver Field in Naples on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. | Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Texas Longhorns

AUSTIN -- Texas Longhorns 2026 four-star quarterback commit Dia Bell continues to make big strides in the NIL sphere ahead of his final season in high school.

Per reports from On3's Pete Nakos, Bell has signed an NIL deal with Gatorade, marking his second partnership after inking a contract with Leaf Trading Cards in Aug. 2024. Bell is the son of former All-NBA defender Raja Bell, who played 12 seasons in the league.

Bell, a product of American Heritage High School (Fort Lauderdale), committed to Texas on June 17, 2024. He won the 2024 Florida Gatorade Player of the Year, a feather in the cap for the historic sports drink company following this latest NIL deal.

Dia Bel
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 TODAY NETWORK

Prior to his commitment to Texas. Bell received offers from Oregon, Alabama, Penn State, Miami, Ohio State and many more. More recently, he was offered Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs in January.

Bell suffered a significant leg injury in the Florida high school state playoffs this past November, an injury that forced him to be carted off. He suffered the injury in the third quarter while his team was down 14-0, but American Heritage was able to rally and score 24 unanswered for the 24-14 win. He finished the 2024 season 161 of 228 passing for 2,597 yards, 29 touchdowns and six interceptions along with 67 carries for 561 yards and five more scores.

Fortunately, Bell has made an impressive recovery, recently sharing videos of himself on social media throwing close to game speed without sporting any noticeable brace or wrap on his injured leg.

If Arch Manning stays at Texas for 2026 instead of entering the draft, the Longhorns quarterback room could feature Manning, Trey Owens, KJ Lacey and Bell. In that scenario, it's possible that Owens could elect to hit the portal in order to get playing time elsewhere but it's anyone's guess how things will play out with the 2025 season still four months out.

Regardless, Bell's arrival to Austin will continue a recent string of high-level quarterback recruits coming to the Forty Acres to play for Steve Sarkisian and A.J. Milwee.

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Zach Dimmitt
ZACH DIMMITT

Zach Dimmitt is the Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI. He also contributes as a writer for the On SI channels of the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Buffalo Bills on SI, Philadelphia Eagles on SI and Seattle Seahawks on SI. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Dimmitt received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He originally started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. In that time, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and has reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7

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