In recruiting news, the top player in the Class of 2026 plans on taking an official visit to Penn State this summer.
Per Hayes Fawcett of On3Sports, Zion Elee has officials scheduled to Auburn, Ohio State, South Carolina, Penn State and Texas A&M in addition to Maryland, where he’s committed.
🚨NEWS🚨 Maryland 5-star EDGE commit Zion Elee plans to take official visits to Maryland, Auburn, South Carolina, Ohio State, Texas A&M and Penn State, @Hayesfawcett3 reports✈️
Elee is the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2026 On300.
Read: https://t.co/VYDZvHjxTU pic.twitter.com/c2UKVujnjL
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) February 6, 2025
Elee, a 6-foot-3, 220-pounder, is ranked No. 1 in On3’s On300. So, yeah, he’s a pretty big deal.
The pride of Baltimore’s St. Frances Academy committed to his state school in December, announcing it hours before Penn State took on Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game.
But as history has shown, not every star DE from Maryland who decides to play for the Terps spends their whole college career there.
SHADES OF CHOP?
Chop Robinson gets set to rush the passer.
Chop Robinson (Gaithersburg, Maryland) was a borderline five-star recruit who Penn State came close to landing out of Quince Orchard High School but decided to stay closer to home initially.
After playing his true freshman season of 2021 at Maryland, Robinson transferred to Penn State, where his career took off. In 22 games at PSU, Robinson recorded 41 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, three passes defended, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Two of his forced fumbles came in 2023, along with 7.5 tackles-for-loss.
2022 was statistically Robinson’s most complete season, and it ended with a 35-21 Rose Bowl victory against Utah. Robinson set career highs in tackles (26), tackles-for-loss (10), sacks (5.5) and passes defended (two). He registered 1.5 sacks and three tackles in the win over the Utes, one of the most memorable of his career.
Penn State reached two New Year’s Six bowls during Robinson’s time and had a 21-5 overall record. Overall, not too shabby. Could Elee be taking a similar path?
WHILE WE’RE ON THE SUBJECT…
While we’re talking about Robinson, it’s worth nothing that he and Elee have similar traits as players, too.
Per 247Sports’ Hudson Standish, Elee is reminiscent of the Dolphins LB who is a finalist for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
“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 May. “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. Verified athletic markers are good enough to compare favorably against Top247 caliber senior edge rushers from the past two recruiting cycles. Outside of the athletic traits, has a natural feel for the position that allowed him to rack up 13 sacks in only nine games, even though his bag of pass-rushing moves isn’t deep at this stage of his development. Building blocks of his game are his lightning-quick first step, closing burst, and ideal reactionary athleticism. Laterally explosive and can quickly move gap-to-gap or chase down ball carriers from the weak side. Motor consistently runs hot, and there might not be a better edge rusher in the 2026 cycle at quickly redirecting to wrap up evasive quarterbacks. Currently works as more of a new-age speed rusher who can occasionally work speed to power, but owns the frame to put on weight and develop into a complete product while retaining the tools that make him unique. Will face a step up in competition as a junior after transferring from MPSSAA 1A program Joppatowne to Baltimore prospect factory St. Frances Academy. Should be viewed as a potential instant impact 3-4 outside linebacker at the next level who could eventually put on a show at the NFL Combine.”
Penn State currently has nine players committed to its 2026 recruiting class and one (Daniel Jennings) is an EDGE prospect.
Elee is visiting Auburn June 13-13 per AuburnLive. No other specific dates have been nailed down yet.
