Five-star class of 2026 edge-rusher prospect Zion Elee has committed to Maryland over Oregon, Alabama, Miami and Penn State, among other big-name programs.

"Maryland felt like home," Elee told Hayes Fawcett of On3. "The coaches really believed in me from the beginning of my recruitment. They saw what I could do for the program. I could connect with the players because they're from the same area I'm from. The academics are strong. It's a great environment. I felt I could grow as a person and a player there."

Elee, who plays for St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, is ranked as the No. 2 edge-rusher and 13th overall prospect in the Class of 2026, per the latest 247Sports Composite ranking.

This is a massive win for a Maryland team that just went 4-8 overall with a 1-8 mark in the Big Ten. The Terrapins in particular struggled getting to the quarterback with just 14 sacks. Elee, of course, could help flip that script when he arrives on campus in a couple of years.

Hudson Standish of 247Sports raved about Elee in a May scouting report.

One of the more complete edge prospects in recent memory at this stage of the evaluation process ahead of his junior season," Standish wrote in part.

"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."

Elee is also the Terps' first 4- or 5-star recruit in the class of 2026. One can surmise that Maryland being close to Elee helped in this case. Head coach Mike Locksley had enjoyed some success on the local recruit trail of late, with all five four-star players in the class of 2025 being from Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C.

Locksley needs players like Elee to help turn the Terrapin program around. It's a huge win for Maryland as the team looks to improve and make an impact in the Big Ten.