Maryland football 5-star commit Zion Elee takes official visit after saying recruitment is closed

Originally posted on Maryland Terrapins on SI
By Trent Knoop | Last updated May 17, 2025 10:11 AM ET

When five-star edge rusher Zion Elee committed to Maryland football back in December, it raised some eyebrows. Not because Maryland isn't capable of landing elite talent; look at the 2025 recruiting class. But Elee committed early in the process without taking official visits. Teams like Auburn, Ohio State, Penn State, and Texas A&M, among others, continued to pursue Elee. However, the Maryland product announced in late Feb. that his recruitment was shut down and he would be canceling his official visits he had scheduled.

But Elee took an OV after all. On Friday night, On3's Hayes Fawcett posted on X a photo of Elee in an Auburn Tigers jersey and taking an official visit to Auburn.

Five-Star EDGE Zion Elee on his official visit to Auburn

The No. 1 Recruit in the 2026 On300 has been Committed to Maryland since December https://t.co/Wn83TAuIA3 pic.twitter.com/QrTwIhLW1s
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 17, 2025

Shortly after the post was sent, Fawcett released a separate post stating Elee took a visit to Auburn LAST weekend, but he was still 100% committed to Maryland.

“No I’m not taking anymore OVs,” Elee said. “My recruitment is still closed.”

Elee is ranked as the No. 4 player in the 2026 cycle, per the Composite. He is the top-ranked edge rusher, and would be the biggest grab by the Terrapins in Maryland football history if he were to sign with Mike Locksley's program come Signing Day.

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

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