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Maryland Football: Terps now have No. 1 recruit in the country

Originally posted on Maryland Terrapins on SI
By Chris Breiler | Last updated Feb 24, 2025 1:39 PM ET

The Maryland Terrapins have put together some great momentum on the recruiting trail as of late. Fresh off of signing the No. 25 ranked class nationally for the 2025 cycle, the Terps are also just one of a handful of programs that currently have a five-star commitment in the 2026 class. Zion Elee, an elite edge rusher out of St. Frances Academy, committed to Maryland back in December and was widely regarded as one of the top recruits in the country. But on Monday, On3 gave Elee a ratings boost, making him to No. 1 overall player in the country for the 2026 class.

Even better, Elee recently announced that he was shutting down his recruitment and cancelling any upcoming visits to other programs, saying there was no need to explore since he was already home.

NEW Updated 2026 On300 rankings‼️

Breakdown via @CharlesPower: https://t.co/UqnRHxoVNX pic.twitter.com/O3i1SQi7Lb
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) February 24, 2025

Maryland 5-star EDGE commit Zion Elee says his recruitment is closed❌

Elee is the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2026 On300.

Read: https://t.co/V47b43XuMm pic.twitter.com/A05JLSdA1Z
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) February 21, 2025

Interestingly enough, the Terrapins are also in the mix for another prospect on that list who is currently sitting in the No. 4 spot nationally - Immanuel Iheanacho. The Maryland native is another five-star prospect who is considering staying home, although other top programs like Oregon, Alabama, and Georgia are all in the mix.

NEW OT Immanuel Iheanacho ranks No. 4 and five-stars in the updated 2026 On300.

Georgia, Penn State, Maryland, Oregon, Alabama and Miami are among his top schools.https://t.co/wpcDtoEh9H pic.twitter.com/CeI6MaAWLY
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) February 24, 2025

When you consider how much of a struggle it has been for Maryland to find a breakthrough season as part of the Big Ten, the recent recruiting success by head coach Mike Locksley and his staff has been impressive. If they can ultimately keep Elee in the fold and land some other big wins with guys like Iheanacho, the Terps could be on their way to the best recruiting stretch in program history.

This article first appeared on Maryland Terrapins on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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