Buckeyes Put Out New QB Offer to Florida Star

It was inevitable that Ohio State would take a hard look at the future of the quarterback position this spring after bringing in a fresh set of eyes in new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.

On Thursday, the Buckeyes offered class of 2026 Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage star Dia Bell. It’s the first quarterback offer that the Buckeyes have put out since Kelly arrived in Columbus. Bell was back in town visiting for spring practice when he got the news.

“I was in a meeting with Coach Day and Coach Kelly when they offered me,” Bell told BuckeyeHuddle.com. “I was a bit surprised, but super grateful and excited about the opportunity.”

Bell had previously camped with Ohio State over the summer but with Ohio State’s staff turnover, things had become a bit quiet between Bell and the Buckeyes. That has obviously changed in recent weeks with the visit and now the offer.

Bell says the lapse in communication, Ohio State also can’t contact class of 2026 prospects yet, hasn’t hurt Ohio State’s standing with him.

“It didn’t affect me much because Ohio State had remained a school that I was interested in,” he said.

The latest visit allowed Bell to see more of the inner-workings of the program than his camp visit last summer did.

“It was great visit,” he started. “They have a super talented team. Two of the freshmen caught my eye today, JJ (Jeremiah Smith) and Julian Sayin. I was able to see different parts of the program and the campus in a way that I hadn’t before.”

Bell also had a chance to have his first conversations with Kelly. So far, so good.

“It was great to meet Coach Kelly, he’s a great coach,” Bell continued. “We had great conversations today and I’m looking forward to building a relationship with him.”

A slew of visits are on deck for Bell, including Big Ten rival Penn State and SEC powers Alabama and Florida. Bell added that he plans to camp again with Ohio State this summer.

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