Maryland five-star commit earns First-Team All-American honors
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Maryland Football's prized 2026 commit earned First-Team All-American honors for his junior season effort. Five-star edge rusher Zion Elee out of St. Frances Academy has firmly established himself as one of the top prospects in the country, with 247 Sports composite listing him as the No. 1 edge rusher and No. 5 overall prospect in the 2026 class.
The 6-4, 220 prospect out of Baltimore (MD) has drawn comparisons to Miami Dolphins linebacker Chop Robinson due to his combination of size, speed, power, and athleticism.
Blessed pic.twitter.com/4nLQhLyMDJ
— Zion Elee (@D1zion26) January 14, 2025
Here's what 247 Sports National Analyst Hudson Standish had to say about the five-star prospect out of Maryland:
One of the more complete edge prospects in recent memory at this stage of the evaluation process ahead of his junior season. It feels as if he was built in a lab to get after the quarterback, verified hovering around 6-foot-4, 220 pounds with elite length measurements and a combine testing profile that could be mistaken for a field-stretching X receiver. Verified athletic markers are good enough to compare favorably against Top247 caliber senior edge rushers from the past two recruiting cycles. Outside of the athletic traits, has a natural feel for the position that allowed him to rack up 13 sacks in only nine games, even though his bag of pass-rushing moves isn't deep at this stage of his development. Building blocks of his game are his lightning-quick first step, closing burst, and ideal reactionary athleticism. Laterally explosive and can quickly move gap-to-gap or chase down ball carriers from the weak side. Motor consistently runs hot, and there might not be a better edge rusher in the 2026 cycle at quickly redirecting to wrap up evasive quarterbacks. Currently works as more of a new-age speed rusher who can occasionally work speed to power, but owns the frame to put on weight and develop into a complete product while retaining the tools that make him unique. Will face a step up in competition as a junior after transferring from MPSSAA 1A program Joppatowne to Baltimore prospect factory St. Frances Academy. Should be viewed as a potential instant impact 3-4 outside linebacker at the next level who could eventually put on a show at the NFL Combine.
Elee holds offers from 35 programs around the country, including top programs like Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Ohio State. But it would appear that the appeal of being able to play close to home was enough for the Terrapins to close the deal, at least for the time being. With a highly coveted prospect like Elee, there's no doubt that other programs will continue to make a run at the five-star between now and signing day.
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Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. In January of 2025, he took over as Publisher for Maryland On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.
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