Five-star Maryland football pledge Zion Elee ranked third-best prospect regardless of class

Ahmed Ghafir
Jul 19
2 min read

Head coach Mike Locksley and his staff added their ninth local commit in the 2026 cycle when St. James (VA) three-star receiver Jayden Kitchens went public with his decision, committing to Maryland over Cincinnati and Virginia Tech. Maryland football’s class sits at 12 commits, but it’s still five-star edge Zion Elee anchoring the cycle as the St. Frances (MD) star was named the third-best prospect regardless of class this week.

ESPN: “The in-state Maryland commit is arguably the most athletic edge rusher we have ever evaluated. His 4.43 40-yard dash would place him in the top 5% all time at the NFL combine for defensive ends. At 6-4 with an 80-inch wingspan, Elee is long, lean and explosive, with plenty of room to add more bulk. That length, paired with an excellent first step and strong motor, wreaks havoc off the edge. He broad-jumped more than 11 feet this spring, the highest ever recorded on the Under Armour Camp Series platform. Elee will be an instant impact college defender in fall 2026.”

Elee closed out the month of June with an official visit to Maryland beginning June 20 where several of his teammates – now all committed – solidified their pledges. While Elee announced in the spring that his recruitment was shut down, it took time for that to officially come to fruition after taking a surprise mid-May official visit to Auburn while several other Power Four schools tried to take their swing into official visit season. But visits after the Auburn trip never materialized as Elee reinforced the belief his commitment remains strong heading into his senior season.

“They respected my decision when I told them. I told them I’m committed to Maryland. If something happens or if my commitment is no longer, then I know they’ll be there for me,” Elee told IBG in late May.

The five-star will now shift his attention to his second and final season anchoring the St. Frances defense with five-star safety and Alabama pledge Jireh Edwards anchoring the backline. Elee also recorded a 4.35 in his second attempt at the 40 yard dash, along with an 11.53-inch broad jump in late May.

2026 DT Lamar Brown, LSU
2027 OT Kennedy Brown
2026 DE Zion Elee, Maryland
2026 OT Jackson Cantwell, Miami
2026 QB Dia Bell, Texas
2026 WR Chris Henry Jr., Ohio State
2027 WR Jamier Brown, Ohio State
2026 QB Jared Curtis, Georgia
2027 CB John Meredith III
2027 DE Zyron Forstall
2026 RB Derrek Cooper
2026 QB Faizon Brandon, Tennessee
2028 WR Brysen Wright
2028 WR Eric McFarland III
2027 OLB LaDamion Guyton
2028 QB Jayden Wade
2026 DE JaReylan McCoy
2026 WR Tristen Keys, LSU
2026 DE Richard Wesley, Texas
2028 DL Asher Ghioto
2026 TE Kendre Harrison, Oregon
2026 OT Immanuel Iheanacho, Oregon
2027 CB Josh Dobson
2027 DT Jalen Brewster
2028 QB Neimann Lawrence

Related Links