Zion Elee's commitment to Maryland could be program changing

The Terrapins secured what could be the next college superstar

Caleb Sisk | Feb 5, 2025

Zion Elee dressed out and ready for a high school bowl game / Zion Elee Instagram

Recruiting is always intriguing simply because any team that offers a prospect truly has the chance to make a statement.

Although some of the top teams like Alabama, Georgia and Oregon are more likely to land the four- and five-star recruits, there is still sometimes that a player will slip through the cracks and commit to a school that people simply didn’t expect.

That is the case with the nation’s No. 2 player in the 2026 class, Zion Elee.

Elee is an edge rusher from St. Frances Academy High in Baltimore, Maryland. He measures in at 6-foot-4 220-pounds and has raised the eyebrows of recruiting coordinators and head coaches across the nation. He has many offers from the top schools. According to 247Sports, he has a total of 35 offers, however, he has already committed to his destination.

That destination is the Maryland Terrapins. Elee is one of four players to commit to the Terrapins already in the class of 2026 and the first four-star plus to do so. He and two of his teammates make up three of the four players to be committed currently to give the Terrapins a top-25 ranking so far.

247Sports National Analyst Hudson Standish compared the edge rusher to Chop Robinson who currently plays in the NFL. He breaks down his evaluation below.

“One of the more complete edge prospects in recent memory at this stage of the evaluation process ahead of his junior season. It feels as if he was built in a lab to get after the quarterback, verified hovering around 6-foot-4, 220 pounds with elite length measurements and a combine testing profile that could be mistaken for a field-stretching X receiver. Verified athletic markers are good enough to compare favorably against Top247 caliber senior edge rushers from the past two recruiting cycles. Outside of the athletic traits, has a natural feel for the position that allowed him to rack up 13 sacks in only nine games, even though his bag of pass-rushing moves isn't deep at this stage of his development.

"Building blocks of his game are his lightning-quick first step, closing burst, and ideal reactionary athleticism. Laterally explosive and can quickly move gap-to-gap or chase down ball carriers from the weak side. Motor consistently runs hot, and there might not be a better edge rusher in the 2026 cycle at quickly redirecting to wrap up evasive quarterbacks. Currently works as more of a new-age speed rusher who can occasionally work speed to power, but owns the frame to put on weight and develop into a complete product while retaining the tools that make him unique. Will face a step up in competition as a junior after transferring from MPSSAA 1A program Joppatowne to Baltimore prospect factory St. Frances Academy. Should be viewed as a potential instant impact 3-4 outside linebacker at the next level who could eventually put on a show at the NFL Combine.”

The talented edge rusher could play a Travis Hunter Jr. type of role where his name holds the weight to bring talented players with him. At the top of the list for the Terrapins is his teammate, Jireh Edwards, who is the top remaining target as of now for Maryland. He is a high four-star who is nearly rated as a five-star.

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Published Feb 5, 2025

CALEB SISK

Caleb Sisk has been a sportswriter in the Dalton, Georgia area since 2023. He started as a graphic designer with his own company that was and is run through social media. Sisk grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and has experience traveling back to his hometown and all throughout the state of Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina to cover high school sports. He has written for many On SI sites and has worked with Rivals in the past. He also expresses the enjoyment of writing about multiple sports and topics, although his first love for writing has always been recruiting. He began contributing to High School On SI in 2025.