REPORT: Zion Elee, a five-star edge rusher, visited Auburn over the weekend and was in Happy Valley on Tuesday. He continues to recruit despite a

Five-star edge rusher Zion Elee was in Happy Valley on Tuesday after visiting Auburn over the weekend as he keeps his recruitment open despite a commitment to the Terrapins.

Penn State is losing the best edge rusher in the country to the 2025 NFL draft. And while there’s no way to replace Abdul Carter, James Franklin is turning to the recruiting trail to try. Zion Elee is the top-rated high school edge rusher in the 2026 class according to 247Sports and No. 2 by their composite rankings. A top-15 player in the class and a bonafide five-star, the Baltimore native is committed to Maryland, but this week he took a visit to Happy Valley.

Elee was down south at Auburn over the weekend. Then on Tuesday, he posted a with Franklin as the Nittany Lions try to pry him away from Mike Locksley and his home-state Terrapins. His commitment doesn’t appear to be firm and if he’s going to flip, Franklin needs to be sure it’s to Penn State.

Franklin has gone all-in this offseason, hiring defensive coordinator Jim Knowles away from Ohio State and retaining draft-eligible stars Drew Allar, Nicholas Singleton, and Kaytron Allen, among others, but there is still an eye to the future with a nine-player 2026 class that ranks No. 4 in the country. Elee would immediately become the centerpiece and could quickly be foundational for Knowles’ defense in Happy Valley.

With his pedigree and ties to a nearby area that Franklin recruits very well, Elee should be the No. 1 high school prospect on Penn State’s recruitment board for 2026.

Carter wasn’t the only first-round talent at edge rusher for Penn State over the years. Chop Robinson was a first-round pick just last offseason but Carter was the most dominant defensive end the Nittany Lions have had since Courtney Brown; the No. 1 overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. Carter, however, wasn’t a protyptical edge and had to transition to the role after two seasons as an off-ball linebacker. Elee will be ready to get after the quarterback on Day 1.

At 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, Elee is quick off the edge with long arms, good hand usage, and a variety of different

ways to get to the quarterback. Once former five-star Dani Dennis-Sutton, one of Penn State’s most important draft-eligible returners for 2025, leaves for the pros after next season, Elee could be ready to step right into a starting role if Franklin and defensive line coach Deion Barnes can redirect him from College Park to University Park.

Elee also visited Happy Valley back in November and holds 35 offers including from Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Oregon, and Ohio State.