QB Dia Bell Reacts to Receiving Miami Offer After Legends Camp

American Heritage Plantation (Fla.) quarterback Dia Bell is set for a breakout sophomore season. Bell only threw 21 passes last year, but he gained valuable experience while backing up Blake Murphy, who was one of South Florida’s top quarterbacks in 2022 and is now playing at Lousiana-Monroe.

“I learned a lot just watching, just the way [Murphy] kind of carries himself around the team and around people maybe he does or doesn’t know, and his leadership ability,” Bell told LifeWallet Sports. “I’ve learned a lot from honestly the past two or three years I’ve been behind him, been a great influence.”

Bell has taken part in a bunch of college camps this offseason, and it’s paid off in his recruitment. Since May, Bell has received offers from Western Carolina, Wyoming, BYU, Florida and most recently, Miami. His offer from the Hurricanes was given to him by head coach Mario Cristobal after last Thursday’s Legends Camp.

“Really after camp, they kind of brought a couple guys outside to do some extra work and they kind of told me after to meet them upstairs. I got to talk with Mario [Cristobal], and I know my grandpa worked there as an assistant [athletic director] for 17 years,” Bell said. “And then he just said he wants to offer me and he’s banking on me being able to progress and work hard to be able to become the best [quarterback] I can possibly be. And then he said that one day Miami could be a home for me, but honestly, I was just speechless. I mean, it’s always been a dream for me. It’s like right in my backyard. I’ve been growing up around this program for a really long time, so yeah, I was really speechless.”

Bell knows all about Cristobal’s path from playing at Miami to becoming the school’s head coach. He supports the culture that Cristobal is trying to instill.

“He definitely knows what he’s talking about,” Bell said about Cristobal. “Being here before, playing here and then going on to coach Oregon and coming back and what he’s doing now and recreating the culture, it’s an amazing thing and he really knows what he’s doing. So I’m looking forward to just keep coming back and getting to know him even more.”
Bell, who describes himself as very coachable, has a free-flowing, up-tempo play style that works well with some of the surrounding offensive talent at American Heritage like 2025 running back Byron Louis and 2026 wide receiver Malachi Toney. Bell has state-championship aspirations for the 2023 season, as he said this is the “main thing” he’s focused on.

Check out LifeWalletSports.com to get connected with all of our athletes and partnered brands.