Zion Elee down to 5; Nation's No. 2 prospect cuts list

Andrew Nemec | Aug 3, 2024

Zion Elee / Courtesy of Hayes Fawcett/On3

St. Frances Academy (Maryland) five-star edge-rusher Zion Elee is the No. 2 player in the class of 2026.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound defender has accumulated more than 30 scholarship offers from the country's top football programs and established himself as one of the most naturally-gifted athletes in his class.

On Saturday, Elee trimmed his list of offers significantly, cutting things down to a five finalists - Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State.

It's too early to predict where the Maryland product will land, however his most recent visit was to Eugene for Oregon's "Saturday Night Live" camp.

"It was a great visit," Elee said. "What stood out, honestly, was their facilities and how close they are to the school houses and town. A really nice place, in general."

However, the lone remaining program among his top five to have generated a prediction on On3 is Penn State - with only a 15.6 percent chance of securing his pledge.

As a sophomore at Joppatowne (Maryland), Elee racked up 64 tackles, 24 tackles-for-loss and 13 sacks.

Here's what 247Sports had to say about him as a prospect:

"One of the more complete edge prospects in recent memory at this stage of the evaluation process... 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. ...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. ...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."