Maryland coach Mike Locksley is on the hot seat after the No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers blew out the Terrapins 55-10 in Week 10 action. The loss dropped the Terps to a 4-4 record this season.
Off the field, Locksley had to deal with his prized recruit, five-star EDGE Zion Elee, going on an official visit to coach Shane Beamer’s South Carolina Gamecocks as they hosted the Alabama Crimson Tide in Week 9. Elee is considered the No. 1 edge rusher and the No. 2 prospect in the class of 2026 according to 247Sports.
Mike Locksley Aimed Cheating Barb at Shane Beamer Over a Five-Star Recruit
During Friday’s segment of the “Sports Junkies” podcast, Locksley claimed that the Gamecocks had paid Elee between $5,000 and 10,0000 to take an official visit to their campus in Week 9, but reiterated his relaxation at the situation.
“In my opinion, those guys, you know they get paid to go take those trips now. Why would I be mad for Zion to make five to ten grand to go down to South Carolina?” Mike Locksley said. “He’s been loyal to this area, loyal to me and the program we’ve created. We have constant dialogue.
“Some of these schools have the ability where they take kids to come take visits, and they hide it behind the NIL stuff. I’m not saying that’s what has happened. But over the years, if I have great communication with a kid, I can’t operate out of fear. If [Maryland] isn’t the best situation for him, we’ll go find somebody else. We’ve done that.”
Despite several offers from elite programs, Elee committed to Locksley’s Maryland in December last year. With the early signing period starting on December 3, the Terrapins’ coach violated the NCAA rules by speaking about an unsigned prospect by name during his interview.
Five-Star Prospect Locked In on Maryland
Despite being linked with other programs, Elee revealed during an interview with “Rivals” in August that he would stay loyal to Locksley’s Maryland. The Terrapins’ 2026 recruiting class has 11 commits and is ranked No. 55 in the country in Rivals’ industry team recruiting rankings.
“I’m staying locked in with Maryland,” Zion Elee said. “The relationship I have with the coaches is pretty tight. Obviously, we are still building because I still talk to them constantly.”
Locksley’s Terrapins have lost three games in a row, and the last thing that Maryland fans would want is for the highest-rated commit in program history to decommit ahead of the early signing period.