Five-star Maryland pledge Zion Elee named Rivals All-American ahead of senior season

Ahmed Ghafir
Aug 12
2 min read

St. Frances five-star edge and current Maryland pledge Zion Elee was cemented as one of the best high school prospects in the country ahead of his senior year after being recognized by both MaxPreps and Rivals.

MaxPreps named Elee the top defensive lineman in the country heading into 2025, one spot ahead of five-star LSU pledge Lamar Brown, while Rivals recognized the prized Maryland pledge as an All-American.

“The five-star edge rusher is back for his senior season and will compete against some of the nation’s best this fall. Elee is committed to Maryland and will be a problem for any would-be offensive tackle or tight end trying to block him,” Rivals wrote.

Elee was previously ranked the third-best prospect in the country by ESPN, regardless of class, with Lamar Brown and 2027 OT Kennedy Brown the lone prospects ahead of him.

“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,” ESPN wrote. “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 and five-star Alabama pledge Jireh Edwards will team up to lead a deep St. Frances defense into the Aug. 23 opener vs. Chaminade-Madonna Prep (FL) before facing St. John Bosco, Hun School and IMG Academy among others through 2025.

On the recruiting trail, Maryland held off flip efforts from several Power Four schools through the spring into official visit season with Auburn the lone school to host the five-star in an official capacity. Elee also joined his younger brother and several local prospects on a bus tour with Fast Track Recruits with several stops at Power Four schools, though he wrapped it up with a visit to Maryland one day before returning to campus for his official visit beginning June 20. With his recruitment now quiet with all signs pointing to Maryland still in a good spot, Elee is expected to enroll early before he looks to become an impact piece in the trenches in College Park.

“I have a really strong connection with coach Aazaar. And the new [defensive] coordinator, we’ve been connecting recently. We have yet to talk that much but on my OV, I’m sure I’ll get a firm idea of things,” Elee said. “I want to see what they have for me. What type of things and plays for me when I get there? What am I going to be learning? One thing I learned on OVs they’ve got spreadsheets to go over things you’ve never heard of, so I just want to learn new things about how they operate.”

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