The recruiting world was stunned when Zion Elee, a consensus five-star, committed to Maryland. The Terps’ coaching staff was just as surprised by the announcement, Elee said.
Elee — the No. 1 recruit nationally, according to On3 — announced his decision on FaceTime to Maryland coach Michael Locksley, co-defensive coordinator Aazaar Abdul-Rahim and Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank. A celebration commenced for the Baltimore native who attends St. Frances.
“I ain’t worrying or listening to no [other schools],” Elee told The Diamondback on Sunday. “I’m home. I’m here to stay.”
Elee’s commitment isn’t just about his talents. If his pledge holds, it will signify a continuation of Maryland’s recent local recruiting success on a greater scale. It’ll also show the program’s ability to compete with national brands.
Every program in the country wanted Elee, but he still chose the Terps.
The five-star has already heard the rumors. He knew the instant he committed, people would question if he planned on honoring his verbal commitment to Maryland.
Messay Hailemariam, Elee’s high school coach, said there is always a possibility for any player to decommit in the era of NIL. There’s no question that other schools will pursue the top prospect.
Elee had to turn his phone off after he committed because of the bombardment of messages and calls from other schools.
[Top-ranked 2026 recruit Zion Elee verbally commits to Maryland football]
Three-star cornerback Khmari Bing, a fellow 2026 commit and Elee’s St. Frances teammate, said Elee’s plan is not to leave Maryland, but his decision will likely depend on what other schools offer monetarily.
“We all know Maryland’s NIL isn’t really that strong. But I just want to play football, I don’t really care about NIL,” Elee said. “If that was the case, I would have went to a different school. So clearly, it’s about something else. Clearly, I actually want to be here.”
Elee said he feels secure in his decision. The five-star wants to create a legacy for himself in his home state, he said.
Former top recruits such as Stefon Diggs and Rakim Jarrett have done the same. Elee would be the top recruit in program history, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
Elee’s plan wasn’t always to stay home. Though Maryland was his first offer, he didn’t envision himself in College Park growing up, he said.
The Terps did not recruit him aggressively because they assumed he’d commit elsewhere, Elee said. He even told his friends that he planned on committing to Alabama.
But momentum started to shift when Abdul-Rahim was hired this offseason and the two connected. Elee attended the Terps’ upset win over USC, a bright spot from this past season. He demonstrated serious interest to Locksley, and the Terps amped up the attention on Elee.
“You can benefit from staying in Baltimore. It’s not as bad as everybody says it is. Everybody’s trying to get out of Baltimore when you can just stay and build, you can stay in Maryland to build,” Elee said.
Hailemariam also said Elee isn’t entirely NIL-focused, but rather wants to try and elevate Maryland to national prominence.
“Those guys can play anywhere they choose to, want to, and because they want to stay home, it’s themselves and their families,” Hailemariam said.
[Maryland football secures quartet of 4-star recruits on early signing day]
It makes sense that Locksley went all in. Elee is an incredible athlete who’s built like an NFL pass rusher. He collected two sacks against high school powerhouse Mater Dei this season, before breaking his wrist when sacking the quarterback. Elee said that game proved to himself how talented he truly is.
The first thing Bing heard about Elee was he ran a 4.40 40-yard dash. The cornerback was floored. Locksley plans to play Elee at the JACK position, which rushes the passer and drops back into coverage.
Elee, Bing and three-star tight end Damon Hall Jr. all are committed to Maryland. Elee said he plans on signing next December and enrolling early in College Park.
Bing and Elee have even roomed together during St. Frances’s road trips. The two are known to pull pranks and joke around with teammates. Now, they can talk about their future together.
That includes recruiting other talented prospects. Elee said, “a couple commitments are coming soon. Big commitments.” It’s likely some of the best news Terp fans have heard after a poor season.
“I really feel like we can be the first team in Maryland to win a [national championship,]” Elee said.
