Zion Elee is officially a Maryland Terrapin - and with that signature, Mike Locksley just landed the biggest recruit of his tenure. The five-star edge rusher out of St. Frances Academy had been verbally committed for nearly a year, but now it’s inked, sealed, and real: the No. 1 edge rusher in the country is staying home.
Let’s not undersell this. Elee isn’t just a local win - he’s the highest-rated signee in Maryland football history.
Ranked No. 5 overall in the 247Sports Composite and the consensus top edge in the 2026 class, he’s the kind of player who can shift the trajectory of a program. And for a team coming off back-to-back 4-8 seasons, that kind of spark isn’t just welcome - it’s essential.
Locksley’s return was a key piece in keeping Elee on board. There were whispers of other schools - South Carolina got a visit, Texas was in the conversation - but those never gained traction. According to Elee, once it was clear that Locksley would be back, there was never much doubt.
“I think that’s great,” Elee said. “For me, it means I have another year with him coaching me.
We already have a mutual connection of him being from the area - we kind of just already click. Locks is a DMV guy.
He knows his way around here.”
That local bond matters. Elee’s decision to stay in the DMV - despite the noise, the offers, and the NIL whirlwind - says a lot about both the player and the program he’s committing to. Maryland has been quietly stockpiling young, homegrown talent, and Elee sees himself as part of a bigger movement.
“They have a lot of nice young players. We have a lot of nice incoming young players, like myself. I believe in the program,” he said.
And belief goes a long way in today’s college football landscape, especially with NIL now deeply woven into the recruiting process. For Elee, clarity around Locksley’s status helped solidify everything - including the financial side.
“Because Locks is there, we still have our agreement,” Elee said. “He said everything he said he was going to do is still coming my way.”
That kind of transparency is rare - and it’s paying off. Even Locksley acknowledged the evolving nature of the game, especially when it comes to NIL visits like Elee’s trip to South Carolina.
“Why would I be mad for Zion to make five-to-ten grand to go down to South Carolina?” Locksley said in a radio interview.
“He’s been loyal to this area, loyal to me and the program we’ve created. We have constant dialogue.”
That loyalty is rare - and it’s powerful. Elee didn’t shy away from the criticism that came with choosing Maryland, either. In fact, he embraced it.
“To me, all the reactions [to picking Maryland] are kind of a little funny,” Elee said last December. “The hate is kind of funny, it’s kind of random, but the positivity too is also funny… I’m going to face more of this at the next level, so it’s really nothing to me.”
That’s the kind of mindset that travels well - from high school dominance to college grind to NFL dreams. And Elee’s physical tools? They’re as real as it gets.
At nearly 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, with verified elite length and athletic testing numbers that could rival top wide receivers, Elee is, in the words of one scout, “built in a lab to get after the quarterback.” He was a nightmare for offensive tackles during the Under Armour All-America Game and Polynesian Bowl, flashing a lightning-quick first step, closing burst, and the kind of lateral explosion that makes offensive coordinators lose sleep.
He’s not just a speed rusher, either. Elee has the frame to add weight without sacrificing the traits that make him special. He’s got the motor, the hand-fighting skills, and the ability to quickly redirect and wrap up elusive quarterbacks - a rare mix in any cycle.
And now, he’s set to join forces with Zahir Mathis and Sidney Stewart - two of the top freshman defenders in the country - to form what could be one of the most disruptive young pass-rushing units in college football.
Maryland didn’t just land a five-star. They landed a face-of-the-program, NIL-era cornerstone who stayed true to his word in a time when that’s becoming increasingly rare.
He’s already starring in national commercials and signing major NIL deals. On the field, he’s a prototype edge with top-of-the-draft potential.
Zion Elee is a Terp. And if you're Maryland, this is the kind of win that doesn’t just change a depth chart - it changes the conversation.