Oregon Ducks Trending for No.1 Overall, 5-Star Recruit Zion Elee? 'My Leader'

The Oregon Ducks are looking to keep things rolling on the recruiting trail in pursuit of 2026 five-star edge rusher Zion Elee. Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks hold the No. 1 class in 2026 with plenty of time before signing day.

Zion Elee with Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning / @D1zion26 - X

The Oregon Ducks are in hot pursuit of one of the top edge rusher and overall players in the 2026 recruiting class.

According to On3's Steve Wiltfong, the Ducks are emerging as one of the early contenders for 2026 five-star edge rusher Zion Elee. The St. Francis Academy (Baltimore, MD) product is the No. 1 edge and the No. 2 overall player in the 2026 cycle, per 247Sports' rankings.

Elee told Wiltfong that the Ducks are in "constant" communication. He attended Oregon camp on July 27.

Oct 18, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning holds his hand up and smiles while talking to a referee during the first quarter at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

“Oregon, they are constant,” Elee told Wiltfong. “Other schools are in the mix but they’re not as constant as Oregon. . . . They are setting the bar but at the same time other schools are popping up and starting recruiting me.”

As a result of this persistent pursuit, Wiltfong recently logged an expert prediction for the Ducks to land a commitment from Elee.

Elee has taken unofficial visits to Notre Dame, Northwestern, Indiana, Purdue, Maryland, Cincinnati and Penn State. He told Wiltfong that Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Alabama and Florida have been in contact lately. He's also received offers from teams like UCLA, Michigan and more.

“I would say Oregon is my leader,” Elee told On3. “But then again, I’ve recently started thinking about Maryland, I’ve recently had Maryland in consideration. So I would say Maryland and Oregon are really like, top right now.

Despite Oregon's current No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll and recent hot streak on the recruiting trail, a prediction doesn't mean too much as of now, especially for a player in the 2026 class. As a Baltimore native, it's entirely possible that Elee sets his sights on the Terrapins and commits to Maryland at some point in order to stay closer to home. After all, Eugene is one of the furthest destinations from his hometown.

But should Oregon manage to land Elee, he'd join a 2026 Ducks recruiting class that's highlighted by four-star talents like offensive tackle Kodi Greene, defensive linemen Tony Cumberland and Tomuhini Topui, quarterback Jonas Williams, running back Tradarian Bell, defensive lineman Viliami Moala and edge rusher Dutch Horisk. He'd immediately become the highest-rated player for Oregon in the class.

During the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Elee tallied a combined 102 total tackles (24 for loss) and 26 sacks.

247Sports' scouting report says that Elee is one of the better prospects in "recent memory."

Coach Dan Lanning celebrates amid a crowd of fans on the field as No. 3 Oregon knocked off No. 2 Ohio State 32-31 on Saturday at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"One of the more complete edge prospects in recent memory at this stage of the evaluation process ahead of his junior season. . . . Verified athletic markers are good enough to compare favorably against Top247 caliber senior edge rushers from the past two recruiting cycles."

The Ducks easily handled the Purdue Boilermakers in a 35-0 win in West Lafayette on Friday. Oregon will host the Illinois Fighting Illini in Eugene next week.

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