Maryland has long been a hotbed for youth talent, though one local high school has grown into a national football powerhouse in recent years.
Baltimore’s St. Frances Academy founded its football program in 2008 with the help of Biff Poggi, who led the team starting in 2017. The school quickly became Maryland’s premier high school football program after Poggi took over.
The Panthers have finished among MaxPreps’ top 25 high school football teams six times in the last 10 years.
The University of Maryland has recruited from St. Frances in the past, landing touted prospects such as offensive tackle Jaelyn Duncan and linebacker Jaishawn Barham. But it has never received as much talent from the school as it could this year.
Four St. Frances players from the class of 2026 have committed to Maryland, the most in program history.
“I want this whole community to stay and build from inside out,” St. Frances coach Messay Hailemariam told The Diamondback Monday. “Having [this university] right around the corner from home is amazing.”
Hailemariam credits coach Michael Locksley for the influx of local recruits.
[Maryland football’s Malik Washington hosts free youth football camp]
“It’s coach Locksley and his ability to recruit the DMV … even when he was an assistant and a coordinator,” Hailemariam said. “You can see the difference in terms of the way the recruiting is happening. Guys are staying home and Maryland is starting to be an impact program again.”
Zion Elee, Edge
Elee is the crown jewel of Maryland’s 2026 recruiting class, and figures to be the football program’s biggest recruiting success in recent history. The 6–foot-3.5, 220-pound edge defender is the No. 1 recruit in the nation, per the 247Sports Composite rankings.
He surpasses Stefon Diggs, who was ranked 10th nationally in the class of 2012, as Maryland’s highest-ranked football recruit ever.
As a junior, Elee collected 56 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, seven pass breakups and three forced fumbles en route to Under Armour All-America Game and Polynesian Bowl invites.
The Baltimore native committed to Maryland on Dec. 7, 2024. He stayed in touch with other programs and kept his recruitment open into 2025, before he shut it down in February and canceled official visits to Texas A&M, Penn State, Auburn, Ohio State and South Carolina.
“If I wasn’t committed there, I would have decommitted already,” Elee told ESPN in February. “I want to go to college in a place I feel like I can live in and a place where I can have a future. I want it to be a place that feels like home. Maryland is already home.”
Hakim Satterwhite, cornerback
Satterwhite, a three-star recruit, is ranked No. 13 in Maryland and No. 49 cornerback nationally. He’s the third-highest rated recruit in Maryland’s class.
The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Baltimore native committed to the Terps on June 22. He chose them over Michigan, Oregon, Notre Dame and Miami, among others.
[Yarden Garzon’s transfer to Maryland is rooted in her Jewish identity, basketball]
The second cornerback from St. Frances to commit to Maryland this cycle, Satterwhite could join a defensive backs room that only added one dedicated cornerback in the 2025 class.
Damon Hall Jr., tight end
Hall was the second player to commit to Maryland this class with his Aug. 20, 2024 decision. The three-star recruit is the 17th-ranked player in Maryland and 37th-ranked tight end nationally. He is Maryland’s fourth-highest-ranked recruit this year.
The 6-foot-5, 205-pound tight end also had offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Oregon and others. Hall is joined by Javonte Williams and Brayden Marko as Maryland’s tight end commits this cycle.
Khmari Bing, cornerback
Bing announced his Maryland commitment on Aug. 5, 2024. He’s Maryland’s first commitment this class.
He played his freshman season at Good Counsel in Olney before transferring to St. Frances in 2023.
The 5-foot-11, 180-pound three-star recruit is ranked No. 27 in Maryland and No. 109 among cornerbacks nationally. Bing chose Maryland over Tennessee, Wisconsin and Kentucky, among others.
