Dia Bell, son of former NBA player Raja Bell, is promising young QB with a Florida Gators offer

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA — There is plenty of basketball talent in Dia Bell’s family. His father, Raja Bell, played 12 seasons in the NBA. His aunt, Tombi Bell, started at Florida and was a third-round pick in the WNBA Draft.

But Dia’s sport of choice is football and he’s a promising 2026 quarterback at Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage. Bell, listed at 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, played in nine games last season as a freshman backup for an elite program. Now, he’s impressing on the summer camp circuit.

Florida became the first SEC program to offer Bell a scholarship after he camped in Gainesville early in the week. Miami offered Thursday. Friday, Bell was back at Florida to take part in the Gators’ Friday Night Lights camp.

“It was a great camp,” Bell said. “It was good to be back again. I just came here three days ago. So it was good to be back again. I love it up here. It was a great experience.”

To date, Bell has six offers. The one from Billy Napier and Co. was a big one, he said.

“It meant a lot,” Bell said. “My aunt played here — played women’s basketball up here. It means a lot to me to be able to come back up here and feel like I’m at home. So yeah, it’s big for me.”

Thus far, the Gators have impressed Bell.

“It’s great,” Bell said. “I’ve been here for spring practice, too. I got to see how they break down film and stuff like that. They really know what they’re doing and are trying to make it easy on the quarterback. I love what they’re doing up here and I can’t wait to get back and work with them.”

Dia Bell has visited the Gators three times this year

That Bell has visited Florida three times since the spring is telling of his interest in the program, he said.

“Oh yeah, definitely,” Bell said. “I’m very interested in this place. Just the atmosphere honestly. I come up here and there’s always good times, good vibes. I just love being up here as well. … They said they liked my smoothness and just the way I play. They said they’re kind of banking on how my dad used to play, with the work ethic and stuff like that. They’re just banking on me to keep working as time goes on.”

Friday night, as Bell’s well-known father watched from the sideline, the younger Bell was coached up by Gators analyst and QB specialist Ryan O’Hara.

“It was great,” Bell said. “He was just giving me little pointers to maybe get my arm up in certain types of throws. With certain types of reads, maybe I should go to one side of the field if the middle is open. Just little stuff like that. But it makes a whole lot of difference with me.”

Now, Bell hopes to return to Gainesville this fall for a game, he said.

The post Dia Bell, son of former NBA player Raja Bell, is promising young QB with a Florida Gators offer appeared first on On3.