Zion Elee: 5-Star Small-Town Athlete Rises to Nation’s #2 Player in ’26 Class and Top Defensive End

From the small town of Joppatowne High School in Harford County, Maryland, to the big city lights of Baltimore, Zion Elee‘s journey has been nothing short of remarkable. After making waves all summer at college prospect camps nationwide, he joins powerhouse St. Frances Academy, ranked 18th in the nation. Just a year ago, Zion was an Under-Recruited talent. Still, he has built a rock-solid recruitment profile with interest from prestigious programs like Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Penn State, and Oregon.

Standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 220 pounds, Zion has accumulated more than 30 scholarship offers from the country’s top football programs and has established himself as one of the most naturally gifted athletes in his class. The ESPN-ranked 5-star is the nation’s No. 2 underclassman and the number one ranked defensive end from the class of ’26, who happens to run a 4.5 flat.

As a sophomore at Joppatowne High School, Zion racked up an impressive 64 tackles, 24 tackles-for-loss, and 13 sacks, solidifying his reputation as a defensive powerhouse. According to 247Sports, Zion is “one of the more complete edge prospects in recent memory at this stage of the evaluation process. Joppatowne Head Coach Trey Goode tried to warn everyone that Zion was something special when he walked through the doors.

Coach Goode had high praise for Zion during his time at Joppatowne, describing him as a standout player, leader, and brother to his teammates. Zion pushed his peers in the classroom and the weight room, embodying the qualities of a true student-athlete. At Joppatowne High School, Zion honed the fundamentals that helped him emerge as the top defensive end in the class of 2026—standing at an elite 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds. Zion’s impressive combine testing results turned heads, ranking him among the top skill players at the camps.

His natural feel for the position, lightning-quick first step, and closing burst make him a formidable presence on the field. Zion is expected to face a step up in competition as he enters his junior year after transferring to St. Frances Academy. However, his potential as a 3-4 outside linebacker at the next level is undeniable, with the tools to eventually shine at the NFL Combine.

Zion’s rise to stardom has put Joppatowne High School in the spotlight and drawn attention to other promising players, such as 6-foot-4, 255-pound class of ’26 DT/OL Xavier Stacker. Zion has become the highest-profile athlete in Joppatowne’s history, demonstrating that if you bet on yourself, attend camps and combines, and compete against the best athletes in the nation instead of just in your state, you are bound to get recognized. Zion’s journey has awakened the national media, showing that athletes from smaller programs, who are hidden gems, must be discovered.