In late August, five-star edge rusher and Maryland football commit Zion Elee said he was not taking any more visits and that his pledge to the Terps was final. Two months later, he visited South Carolina for its game against Alabama.

The No. 2 player in the 2026 class and the highest-ranked commit in program history has affirmed his commitment to Maryland  several times since his initial decision in December. And while a visit to another school doesn’t seem promising for the Terps’ prospects at keeping Elee’s pledge, the situation is seemingly complex.

In an interview with The Sports Junkies on 106.7 The Fan on Tuesday,coach Michael Locksley suggested that Elee could have been paid to visit the Gamecocks. Locksley said that some schools will occasionally use NIL-structured incentives to entice prospects to visit their campus.

“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 10 grand to go down to South Carolina?” Locksley said. “He’s been one of those guys that’s been really loyal to this area, he’s been loyal to me and the program that we’ve created.

“I’m not saying that that’s what happened, but you know, over the years for me, if I have great communication with a kid, I can’t operate out of fear,” Locksley said during the interview.

Elee posted pictures from his visit to Columbia on Instagram with the caption “Weekend getaway #forevercommitted 🐢.”

If Elee were to decommit, it would be a massive hit to the program. The Terps have lost three games in a row, which has left fans frustrated with Locksley. Elee’s decommitment would be a significant blow to the coach’s reputation in College Park.

Visits

Football

Darrell Carey, 2026, Safety, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville)

Carey, a three-star prospect and a top-50 safety nationally, per 247Sports’ composite rankings, is scheduled to take a second official visit to College Park on Oct. 31. He first visited  Maryland on June 20.

[Recruiting roundup: Olympic gold medalist Quincy Wilson attends Maryland football game]

The senior decommitted from Penn State on Oct. 27, just more than two weeks after coach James Franklin was fired. On the same day he decommitted, 247Sports’ National Recruiting Analyst Brian Dohn predicted that Carey will commit to the Terps. 

Carey would be Maryland’s second safety commit and the 12th commit overall in the 2026 class.

Offers

Censere Gaylord, 2027, Cornerback, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)

Maryland became the 26th Division I program to offer Gaylord on Saturday, joining Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Tennessee, among others. Gaylord visited Georgia on Sept. 27 and Tennessee on Oct. 11.

The four-star prospect is the No. 17 prospect in Florida and No. 204 player nationally. Gaylord is the 27th cornerback Maryland has offered in the 2027 class.

Charles “Chuck” Roberts, 2027, Safety, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)

A day before they offered Gaylord, Locksley and the Terps extended an offer to his teammate at IMG Academy. Maryland is the 13th program to offer Roberts, a three-star prospect and a top-40 player in Florida.

[Behind Maryland football’s early-season success is a dynamic freshman class]

The junior drew interest from several of the nation’s top programs over the summer. Roberts visited Texas on June 1, and collected offers from Oregon and Miami.

Commits

Softball

Audrey Heller, 2026, Right-Handed Pitcher/Infielder, Valley High School (West Des Moines, Iowa)

Coach Lauren Karn and the Terps landed their fourth commitment of the 2026 class, according to On3, when Heller chose Maryland on Oct. 21. She joins three-star Ava Nevius as Maryland’s second pitching prospect in the 2026 class.

The senior attended camps at Maryland, Virginia and FAU in recent months before landing on Karn and the Terps.

Announcements

Men’s Basketball

Miles Sadler, 2026, Point Guard, Bella Vista Prep (Scottsdale, Arizona)

The No. 3 point guard in the country narrowed his list of potential schools to six on Wednesday. He’ll choose between Maryland, Oklahoma, Tennessee, UCLA, USC and West Virginia.

Sadler has taken official visits to Tennessee, Oklahoma and West Virginia. The 5-foot-10 guard seems to be most interested in the Mountaineers, as 247Sports lists his interest in them  as “warmer,” the only program with that designation.

Tristan Reed, 2026, Center, Link Academy (Branson, Missouri)

Reed, a four-star center and top-100 prospect, will announce his commitment on Saturday. The St. Louis native will choose between Maryland, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Missouri and Ohio State.

He’s visited all five schools, but Michigan State, Missouri and Ohio State are the three likeliest destinations, according to 247Sports.

Women’s Basketball

Sydney Mobley, 2027, Center, Olentangy Berlin (Delaware, Ohio)

One of the top women’s basketball prospects in the 2027 class, Mobley narrowed her recruitment to 12 schools on Sunday. The No. 1 player in Ohio’s list includes Maryland, Notre Dame, Ohio State, South Carolina and North Carolina.

A commitment from Mobley would mark coach Brenda Frese and the program’s third straight year with a five-star commit after they landed guard Rainey Welson in the 2025 class and forward Jordyn Jackson in the 2026 class.