Texas Longhorns five-star quarterback commit Dia Bell was named MVP of the Elite 11 Finals on Thursday, capping a standout week among the nation’s top high school signal-callers.

Bell, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound prospect from American Heritage High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, outperformed a talented field that included Houston commit Keisean Henderson, Texas A&M commit Helaman Casugua, and Duke commit Terry Walker III. According to On3, Bell completed 18 of 23 passes for four touchdowns during the 7-on-7 session on the final day. 

“I just want to be able to show why I feel like I’m the best quarterback in the country,” Bell said after the event. “I know everybody else out here feels the same (about themselves). And rankings say whatever they want. But we’re out here to compete, we’re out here to show why we feel like we are the best and we’re out here to just have a great time and connect with each other and hopefully build lifelong connections.”

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Bell, who committed to Texas on June 17, 2024, has done the Longhorns well as a de facto recruiter despite not signing his National Letter of Intent. He is ranked as the No. 5 quarterback in the 2026 class and the No. 3 overall player in Florida by 247Sports. Bell’s junior season was cut short by a leg injury during the state playoffs, but he still finished with 2,597 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, and six interceptions, along with 561 rushing yards and five scores.

The Elite 11 Finals, held at Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, California, featured 20 of the country’s top quarterbacks. Bell’s performance throughout the competition, including his precision and arm strength in drills and live action, earned praise from scouts and analysts. He was recognized as the top performer on Day 1 and maintained his high level of play through the event.