Texas Longhorns’ rising star Dia Bell made history on June 19, 2025, by becoming the first-ever Texas commit to win the prestigious Elite 11 MVP award. Held at the Elite 11 Finals in Manhattan Beach, California, the event invited the nation’s top 20 high school quarterbacks—Bell emerged as the standout across multiple evaluation stages .
The Elite 11 Finals is widely recognized as the premier quarterback competition in high school football, testing prospects through drills, 7-on-7 scrimmages, film study, and mental acuity. Winning MVP isn’t just a nod to raw arm talent—it also signals elite leadership, poise under pressure, and decision-making—traits shared by past winners like Caleb Williams and C.J. Stroud .
Bell’s performance was nothing short of spectacular:
He started strong, ranking among the top two quarterbacks from Day 1 through Day 3 .
In the final 7-on-7 session, he completed 18 of 23 passes for four touchdowns, with zero interceptions and zero sacks allowed, displaying both accuracy and pocket poise .
Scouts praised his smooth mechanics, calm pocket presence, and ability to make tight-window throws under duress .
Bell, the son of former NBA veteran Raja Bell, is already one of the top prospects in the 2026 recruiting class. A 5-star quarterback, he’s regarded as Texas’s crown jewel of its 2026 haul, having committed in June 2024 after shutting down recruitment early . He entered Elite 11 ranked No. 24 overall and holds the position as No. 5 QB nationally .
Bell’s commitment and MVP honor mark a significant milestone in Texas’s quarterback pedigree under Steve Sarkisian, which already includes high-profile talents like Arch Manning and Quinn Ewers . As one insider put it: “He’s not one to flinch in the face of pressure … his smooth stroke and cleaner mechanics allow him to layer the football to the second level and exploit tight coverage windows” .
This accolade raises the bar for Longhorns quarterback recruits and signals Texas’s growing dominance in QB development within the SEC and national landscape . With this historic win, Bell not only cements himself among elite QB talents, but also elevates Texas’s national recruiting reputation as they continue building for the future.