Maryland Football makes cut for elite 2026 five-star recruit
After landing the 25th-ranked recruiting class in the 2025 recruiting cycle, the Terrapins are hoping to capitalize on it. And Maryland sure has a chance to do just that. The Terps already have the Composite No. 4 ranked player in the '26 class in five-star Edge rusher Zion Elee.
With Elee in the fold, despite taking visits elsewhere, there are some big names attracted to play with him. One of them is fellow five-star, Immanuel Iheanacho. The Maryland native is the Composite No. 3 player and an elite offensive tackle. Iheanacho recently cut his list to 11 teams and the Terrapins made the cut.
Maryland will battle it out with Oregon, Georgia, Penn State, Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, Florida, Miami, Auburn, and Tennessee.
NEWS: Five-Star Plus+ OT Immanuel Iheanacho is down to 1️⃣1️⃣ Schools, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) February 12, 2025
The 6’7 350 OT from Baltimore, MD is ranked as the No. 2 Recruit in the ‘26 Class (per On3)
Where Should He Go?👇🏽https://t.co/EwovRFlpMu pic.twitter.com/e8WHlxveaS
This would be a huge recruiting win for Mike Locksley and Maryland. There are some really good prospects coming out of the DMV area and if the Terrapins hope to make a name for themselves in the Big Ten Conference, they will need to land players like this in order to compete with the big teams in the conference.
Here is 247Sports' scouting report on the five-star:
A supremely powerful offensive lineman who wears his verified 6-foot-6.5, 350-pound listing extremely well. Owns some of the longest arms in the 2026 cycle and has better-than-expected lower body explosiveness at his size. Primarily works at offensive tackle, but will likely be limited to the right side or could even slide inside to IOL depending on how his body develops over the next few years. Presents an incredibly difficult problem for opposing front seven defenders to solve thanks to his massive reach and top-tier power in the hands that can flatten well-put-together defensive linemen. Will need to improve his ankle and hip flexibility, but even with some stiffness in his lower half is still athletic enough to dominate on both Friday nights and the offseason camp circuit. Checks multi-sport boxes with skillful basketball tape. Rare elite football prospect that boards at the renowned Georgetown Preparatory School. Somebody defenders look to avoid in the run game, especially at the second level. Could potentially become an immediate impact player for a college football playoff contender in the run game. Should be viewed as an intriguing option at RT or IOL with plenty of long-term NFL Draft upside that pairs nicely with ready to contribute heft.
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Trent began writing and covering Michigan athletics back in 2020. He became a credentialed member of the media in 2021. Trent began writing with Sports Illustrated in 2023 and became the Senior Writer for Michigan Wolverines On SI for the 2024 football season. Trent is also the managing editor for Maryland On SI. Trent’s love of sports and being able to tell stories to fans is what made him get into writing.