Despite having a productive sophomore season, Maryland defensive end Zion Elee hadn’t talked to a college coach until he spoke with Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson in January.
Johnson expressed interest in Elee, but didn’t want to offer the 6-foot-5, 225-pound prospect just yet.
“If I offer you now, your phone will blow up,” Elee recalled of his conversation with Johnson.
As it turned out, Elee blew up anyway. The four-star prospect is now ranked as the 38th-best prospect and the No. 5 edge rusher in the 2026 class. He’s amassed more than 15 Division I offers, including offers from Georgia, Florida State, Missouri, Penn State, Rutgers, Tennessee, West Virginia, Maryland, Miami, Minnesota, South Carolina, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin.