Early Signing Day for the 2025 class is barely in the rearview mirror but the grind never stops. According to 247Sports, three of the top-10 players in the 2026 class have committed. One of them is second-rated Zion Elee and he’s headed to Maryland. In the history of the Terrapins (in terms of 247Sports ratings), only seven five-star athletes have committed to Maryland. Elee, as it stands, is the third-highest-rated recruit. He’s the highest-rated player since Melvin Alaeze in 2005.
Elee is considered to be the second-best overall player in the 2026 class and, naturally, the top EDGE recruit and top player from Maryland. Instead of joining Alabama, Oregon, or Penn State, he joined the Terrapins.
BREAKING: Five-Star EDGE Zion Elee has Committed to Maryland, he tells me for @on3recruits
The 6’4 230 EDGE from Baltimore, MD chose the Terrapins over Oregon, Alabama, & Penn State
He is ranked as the No. 1 Recruit in 2026 (per On3)
“I had a dream”https://t.co/iQoQIAdTYa pic.twitter.com/grqE1hhonW
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 7, 2024
The Top 2026 EDGE Recruit Zion Elee Commits to Maryland
247Sports‘ Hudson Standish gushed over Elee in a May scouting report. The talented edge rusher is considered to be one of the most complete prospects at the position in recent memory. At six-foot-four and 220 pounds, Elee looks like he was built in a lab. He has incredible measurables and, according to Standish, has a testing profile that, “could be mistaken for a field-stretching X receiver.”
In nine games as a sophomore, Elee amassed 64 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, and 13 sacks thanks to his natural feel for the position. All of that is in spite of his pass-rushing acumen not being polished just yet. He has a great foundation with an elite first step at the snap. During the play, he has a great reaction and can close the deal from wherever on the field. Even if the play is running away from him, Elee has the athleticism to track the ball carrier down and make the play.
One of his greatest traits is his never-ending motor and his ability to bring down elusive, mobile quarterbacks. Right now, he’s more of a speed rusher. However, he is working on his power and has the building blocks to develop that part of his game with ease. That will come in time as he adds mass to his already impressive frame.
Larger, more prestigious programs will be working to flip Elee away from the Terrapins over the next year.
