Maryland Football Official Signs Highest Recruit In School History

Yesterday was the early signing day for the 2026 College Football class. The Terps officially signed 16 different student-athletes yesterday, highlighted by the highest-ranked prospect in Maryland football history, Zion Elee.

Five-Star Plus+ EDGE Zion Elee has officially signed with Maryland🐢https://t.co/37obhvKHe4 pic.twitter.com/LW4i0WXeEe
— Rivals (@Rivals) December 3, 2025

The 6'3 1/2 220-pound edge rusher is a hometown kid from Baltimore, Maryland, who played his high school ball at St. Frances Academy and was rated the fifth-best player & best edge rusher in the nation, and the top player in Maryland by 247Sports Composite.

Andrew Ivinis of 247Sports highlighted Elee's stats in high school;

In 2024 at St. Frances, he racked up 56 total tackles (28 TFLs), 10 sacks, 7 PBUs, and 3 FFs. The previous season, before switching to St. Frances, he accumulated 64 tackles (24 TFLs) and 13 sacks at Maryland's Joppatowne High.

Elee joins an already elite up-and-coming tandem on the defensive line in Sidney Stewart and Zahir Mathis. Stewart led the Terps this year with seven sacks, while his running mate on the opposite side, Mathis, was second with six. They both combined for 57 tackles, three pass deflections, one forced fumble, 10 QB hits, and 19 tackles for loss.

Adding him to the mix only makes that Terrapin front four that much more dangerous and explosive. It will raise the question of how that will work with all three players playing on the edge. Defensive coordinator Ted Monachino could mix up looks, having them rotate from outside to inside, situational looks, and technique-driven details that line them up in favorable matchups.

Why is Elee a good addition to the class, you may ask?

He's an elite talent who, at a young age, projects all the skills to not only excel at the collegiate level but also mold himself into a future top-round draft pick in the NFL. Elee is quick off the edge, with fast feet and a great burst, making him a matchup nightmare for even the best offensive linemen. His athletic ability allows him to close off rushes well and gives him a relentless ability to work his way inside or outside to clean up plays.

"He is going to be a problem for opposing offenses."

Our crew breaks down 5-star DE Zion Elee, the nation's top-ranked edge player and @TerpsFootball's highest-ranked recruit ever 👇 pic.twitter.com/E1JNQLZujF
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) December 4, 2025

Yesterday, Maryland Head Coach Mike Locksley talked about how he was able to add not only Elee but also the 15 other talented athletes to his program stating;

“The relationships I have are very deep-rooted,” Terrapins coach Mike Locksley said of keeping Elee home. “It’s based on authenticity. It’s based on trust. It’s based on the success that I’ve had with the players that have come and bought into this program, and so I think it starts with relationships. They do still matter.”

Despite Elee receiving offers from Alabama, Auburn, Oregon, Texas, Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, and more, he still decided to remain home, standing firm with his commitment from over a year ago as a junior. Elee even visited South Carolina in October, a move that Locksley was not worried about, hinting that Elee was paid for the visit, and he was happy he got an opportunity at that.

An excellent addition for the football program, as Maryland athletics continues its trend of adding and keeping great local talent in the College Park building, an exciting product for years to come.