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Eli Lederman, ESPN Staff Writer
Five-star defensive end Zion Elee, ESPN’s No. 1 defender in the Class of 2026, has committed to Maryland, a source confirmed to ESPN on Saturday afternoon.
Elee, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound pass rusher from Baltimore, is the No. 8 overall prospect in the ESPN Junior 300. He took unofficial visits to Penn State, Florida, Miami and Texas A&M this fall and picked the in-state Terrapins over Oregon, Alabama and Penn State.
With his pledge, Elee becomes Maryland’s highest-rated commit in the ESPN recruiting rankings era (dating to 2006), passing Stefon Diggs (No. 13) in the Class of 2012. Elee is the fourth member of Maryland’s 2026 class and the first from within the ESPN Junior 300.
The Terrapins hold the No. 22 class in ESPN’s team rankings for the 2025 cycle after going 4-8 in coach Mike Locksley’s sixth season.
With elite length and technique, Elee stands among the most polished defensive prospects in the 2026 class. He burst onto the recruiting scene in 2023 when he recorded 64 tackles and 13 sacks as a sophomore at Joppatowne (Md.) High School. Elee transferred to Maryland’s St. Frances Academy prior to his junior campaign this fall.
Elee narrowed his finalists to Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State in August but took a series of campus visits this fall across the SEC, ACC and Big Ten. His commitment to Maryland marks a major early win in the 2026 cycle and continues the program’s run of recruiting momentum after the Terrapins signed six ESPN prospects in the 2025 class, their highest count since 2021.