Buffs Beat

Colorado Buffaloes, Jordan Seaton In Pursuit Of Flipping Nation's Top Recruit Zion Elee

The Colorado Buffaloes have offered defensive end recruit Zion Elee, the No. 1 prospect of 2026, and offensive tackle Jordan Seaton is leading his recruitment. Elee has been committed to Maryland since December but was recently spotted practicing with Seaton.

Harrison Simeon

Aug 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes offensive tackle Jordan Seaton (77) before the game against the North Dakota State Bison at Folsom Field.
Aug 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes offensive tackle Jordan Seaton (77) before the game against the North Dakota State Bison at Folsom Field. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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Only 100 days until now and the Colorado Buffaloes' season opener, but recruiting never slows.

Colorado Buffaloes offensive tackle Jordan Seaton knows that fact better than anyone. The former five-star recruit shockingly committed to the Buffaloes days after their 2023 season crashed and burned.

Seaton notoriously received a "crystal ball" prediction to choose his hometown Maryland Terrapins before gracing national TV screens and heaping praise on a Colorado program that wasn't even in his registered finalists. Today, Seaton and the Buffs eye another five-star DMV native who has been committed to Maryland since December.

Colorado offered Zion Elee, a defensive end from St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, Maryland, ranked No. 1 among all 2026 prospects by On3. On Tuesday night, Buffs Director of Player Personnel Corey Phillips implied that he shared a FaceTime call with both Elee and Seaton.

Elee went on the record to shut down his recruitment last February, stating that he was home and that there was "no need to explore." He has since walked back such strong words in the modern landscape of college football, taking an official visit with the Auburn Tigers on May 9.

Colorado is the fourth school to drop an offer for Elee since his alleged shutdown, as the LSU Tigers, Nebraska Cornhuskers and Pittsburgh Panthers did on February 28. Every power program in the country is knocking on his door, including the Ohio State Buckeyes, Texas Longhorns and Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Buckeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions, South Carolina Gamecocks and Texas A&M Aggies are rumored to be in the mix for Elee since he's seemingly cracked his recruitment door open. Like Auburn, they were previously on the list of his scheduled visits.

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Elee shared via social media that he and Seaton trained together last night, further fanning the flames of Colorado's interest. Seaton leaped forward in recruiting ventures from his first moments with the Buffaloes and continues to make moves to bring in new talent.

It's a consensus scouting opinion that Elee is a "freak of nature" at getting to the quarterback. The 6-4, 220-pound edge rusher participated in both the Under Armour All-American Game and the Polynesian Bowl, two venues reserved for the cream of the recruiting crop.

Against a national schedule as a junior at St. Frances, Elee racked up double-digit sacks and boasted the potential to develop into a first-round NFL draft pick. He's a game-breaking talent, so Seaton isn't passing up the opportunity to promote the Buffs to someone who shares his upbringing.

Joppatowne's Zion Elee wraps up Boonsboro QB Colin Telemeco as he releases the ball.
Joppatowne's Zion Elee wraps up Boonsboro QB Colin Telemeco as he releases the ball. / Troy Roland / USA TODAY NETWORK

In 2024, Colorado led the Big 12 in sacks and had its most as a program since the 1990s. There's NFL experience up and down coach Deion Sanders' staff, so the appeal to Elee is certainly there, despite other schools' superior Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) collectives.

Sharks are circling for Elee's services, leaving his local Terps alienated but Colorado with a golden opportunity to snatch another five-star. Since Coach Prime's hiring, Seaton, wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, cornerback Cormani McClain and Florida State Seminoles transfer wide receiver Hykeem Williams are recruiting juggernauts to have or will play for the Buffs.

Elee isn't alone in Colorado's current five-star pursuits. Both wide receiver Cederian Morgan and defensive end Jake Kreul appear intrigued with Boulder and had high marks for the Buffs in recent weeks.

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Harrison Simeon
HARRISON SIMEON

Harrison Simeon is a beat writer for Colorado Buffaloes On SI. Formerly, he wrote for Colorado Buffaloes Wire of the USA TODAY Sports network and interned at the Daily Camera. At the University of Colorado Boulder, he has passionately covered school athletics as President and Editor-In-Chief of its student sports media organization, Sko Buffs Sports. He is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana.

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