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Maryland misses on elite 5-star in-state prospect to Big Ten powerhouse

Originally posted on Maryland Terrapins on SI
By Chris Breiler | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 5:45 PM ET

The Terrapins know that the only way to compete in a loaded Big Ten conference is to keep top talent home. That's why it was such a big deal when head coach Mike Locksley and his staff received a commitment from five-star edge rusher Zion Elee. The 6-4, 220-pound prospect out of Baltimore is rated as the No. 1 player in the state of Maryland and the No. 2 overall prospect in the nation for the 2026 class.

Maryland was hoping to continue that trend with five-star offensive lineman Immanuel Iheanacho, another Baltimore prospect who was giving the Terps some consideration early on. But as his recruitment progressed, it became clear that Iheanacho was trending away from College Park as other major programs came calling. On Thursday, Iheanacho made it official by announcing his commitment to Oregon. It wasn't an unexpected loss for the Terps, but it's still painful watching the No. 2 prospect from your state go elsewhere.

BREAKING: Five-Star Plus+ OT Immanuel Iheanacho has Committed to Oregon, he tells me for @rivals

The 6’7 365 OT chose the Ducks over LSU, Penn State, & Auburn

“All Glory to the most high, Duck Nation I’m ready to get to work! #CallGod”https://t.co/GQmSKWFLoP pic.twitter.com/Kb7mGsceu7
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 3, 2025

Although Maryland has picked up a couple of commitments recently, the class is still slow to materialize. As of this writing, the Terps are currently rated dead least in 18th place within the Big Ten conference for the 2026 recruiting class. There's still plenty of time to get things back on track and finish in the top half of the rankings, but there's no question that fans would like to see better results on the recruiting trail at this point.

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

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