Nation's No. 1 prospect to take official visit to South Carolina
South Carolina football will get a visit from Zion Elee, the nation’s top overall prospect in the class of 2026. Per a Thursday report from On3’s Hayes Fawcett, Elee has not set dates yet but plans to take his official visits to South Carolina, Maryland, Auburn, Ohio State, Penn State, and Texas A&M.
Elee is committed to the hometown Maryland Terrapins but is open to other suitors. Whether or not the Gamecocks have a strong chance of landing a flip remains to be seen. However, earning an official visit is a big step in those efforts. The St. Francis Academy (Baltimore, Maryland) product holds an On3 RPM leader of the Oregon Ducks. Before Elee’s commitment to Maryland in December, many viewed Oregon as his leader.
On3 views Elee as the No. 1 player in the country. The On3 industry ranking—a weighted composite of the rankings from On3, 247Sports, ESPN, and Rivals—considers him the No. 3 overall prospect, No. 2 recruit in Maryland, and No. 1 EDGE player in the country.
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A couple of weeks ago, South Carolina defensive ends/outside linebackers coach Sterling Lucas was in the DMV to visit Elee. It is worth noting that Lucas has picked up big-time EDGE commitments from the area in the past. Both Dylan Stewart and Desmond Umeozulu were consensus blue chip recruits who chose the Gamecocks thanks, in large part, to Lucas. Even fellow DMV native Nyck Harbor, who played EDGE in high school, considered Lucas a major part of his recruitment.
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As a prospect, Elee is a future star. Spending time at both hand-in-the-dirt defensive end and at stand-up outside linebacker, he’s a menace to opposing offenses. He is extremely athletic with a quick first step and good bend. However, he’s not just a speed rusher; he can win with power, too. On one play in particular on film, he earned a sack by driving his blocker backward so hard and so fast that the offensive lineman knocked over the quarterback. Adding to his value as a defender, Elee plays with a high motor.
South Carolina has a big June of official visits already scheduled. Getting Elee on campus to join the loaded list of visitors would be a big deal for the Gamecocks.
