South Carolina Making a Strong Push to Flip No. 1 Overall Prospect Zion Elee
The majority of the top players for the Class of 2026 are already committed to their prospective programs, but as every recruiting cycle shows, not all of those pledges hold firm through National Signing Day in December. And South Carolina is hoping that five-star EDGE Zion Elee will be one of those headliners to flip.
Elee, the No. 1 overall player in the Rivals Industry Rankings, pledged to his hometown Maryland Terrapins earlier this year. Publicly, the Baltimore native has stood firmly behind the commitment, while privately, the door is slightly cracked open. Programs like South Carolina continue to press the issue, and Elee admits he only responds to three schools right not: Miami, Penn State, and South Carolina, according to Rivals’ Marcus Benjamin.
Three schools are continuing their efforts to flip Maryland Five-Star Plus+ EDGE Zion Elee, he tells @BenjaminRivals👀“Those are the only three I respond to.” Intel: https://t.co/4rzMQqwkk8pic.twitter.com/1zm0YuDH0h
— Rivals (@Rivals) August 24, 2025
That leaves the Gamecocks in rare company as one of the select few programs still in the hunt.
A Recruiting Battle Still Alive
Although Elee canceled his official visit to Columbia, along with several other OVs, he did make an unofficial stop at South Carolina as part of his recruiting bus tour earlier this year. During that trip, he was made a top priority by defensive ends and outside linebackers coach Sterling Lucas. And the Gamecocks have not let up since…