Dia Bell helps erase a 28-0 deficit to lead AHHS to victory on national television

Texas commit Dia Bell and his American Heritage Patriots were down 28-0 to St. Joseph’s Prep on Friday night in front of a national television audience on ESPN2. That same audience was able to see Bell and company roar back to win 31-28, with Bell orchestrating several of the biggest plays of the comeback including an important touchdown pass.

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“At halftime, we had to make some adjustments for sure,” Bell told ESPN2. “We came out trying to play a little too deep with them knowing that they have a great D-line. We came out in the second half, tried to get the ball out of my hand quicker, tried to get guys in space to make plays, and that’s what we did.’

The Patriots won on a game-winning field goal. Bell’s teammate, Jonathan Bueno, rushed for three scores.

The highlight below includes a touchdown pass from Bell earlier in the game that made it 28-21 with just under seven minutes left.

Bell ended up joining the broadcast.

The Patriots were without Brandon Bennett, a four-star wide receiver committed to Florida State and one of Bell’s top targets.

How he fits at Texas:

Bell is probably the official mark of Texas’ transformation, or maybe we should say Steve Sarkisian‘s transformation, into emphasizing dual-threat abilities at quarterback. That’s been the growing trend from pro-style coaches at every level. Like other pro-style prospects, Bell isn’t strictly a runner, he can move around to stretch the field vertically and has a very impressive arm he routinely uses to overpower coverage at the high school level. He has the passing traits you’d normally expect to see from a Sark quarterback prospect, but he also has wheels and can execute some gun-option to free up the tight ends and boost the run game, thus creating even more opportunities to take shots down the field. – Ian Boyd

Coach Says:

Strengths — Good height for the position and will definitely grow some more. Quick twitch and athleticism jumps off the screen. Takeaway steps are smooth. Ball carriage is appropriate at shoulder level.  Gets to the top of his drop under balance, with a good base and with his hips and shoulders facing his target. Has a natural feel for the pocket and will sidestep and climb the pocket easily with his eyes upfield. Agility and acceleration are very good and he extends plays easily buying himself just enough space and angles to deliver the football. His throwing motion is effortless and mostly three quarters, finishing with a good snap of the wrist falling to his opposite hip. Ball jumps out of his hand with great rotation and velocity. Easy gas to the deep quadrants. Most recent film shows more throw variety (e.g., touch, bucket, fastball). Shows good anticipation and strength to push the ball downfield. Playbook has progressed to include more post-snap decision-making. Consistently getting to second or third reads. Calm under pressure in the pocket. Will throw from many arm angles to make the play happen. As a runner, he’s quite elusive with the athleticism noted above. Good straight line speed and contact balance. Just a little bit of elusiveness to make one guy miss.

Areas for Improvement — Does not consistently reset his feet (but will still get torque on the ball from some ridiculous angles). Will get on his toes at times. Weight transfer inconsistent. 

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Bell is ranked as the No. 4 overall prospect, the No. 1 quarterback, and the No. 1 player in Florida in the Rivals Industry Ranking. Rivals ranks Bell as the No. 2 overall prospect, the No. 1 quarterback, and the No. 1 player in Florida.