Oregon predicted to beat Penn State for the No. 1 recruit in 2026

On Monday, On3 released an updated version of the 2026 recruiting class. These new rankings revealed that Zion Elee is now the No. 1 prospect in the 2026 cycle. A prospect that the Penn State football team had been in pursuit of. However, the Oregon Ducks are now the favorite to land Elee over the Nittany Lions.

When the new recruiting rankings were released on Monday by On3, Zion Elee became the No. 1 prospect in the 2026 recruiting class. Elee is a five-star prospect who plays defensive end. Standing at 6-foot-3 220 pounds and is from Joppa (Maryland).

On Monday, Hayes Fawcett of On3 also revealed that Elee told him the following schools ‘stand out’ to the five-star edge rusher. Oregon, Alabama, Texas A&M, Maryland, Ohio State, Miami, Tennessee, Penn State.

These schools “Stand Out” to Five-Star EDGE Zion Elee, he tells me for @on3recruits

He was just named the No. 1 Recruit in the ‘26 Class, per On3 👀https://t.co/eMTXHpKGhr pic.twitter.com/Wb7zrW1XGJ

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) October 21, 2024

Oregon predicted to land Elee over Penn State football

Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Steve Wiltfong dropped a new RPM within the same hour of Fawcett’s update on Elee. Wiltfong predicts that the Oregon Ducks will land Elee with a confidence of 60%.

FONG BOMB: On3's @SWiltfong_ has logged an expert prediction for Oregon to land 2026 5-star EDGE Zion Elee🦆

Elee is the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2026 On300.

Intel: https://t.co/b8NBFLiWeQ pic.twitter.com/kQDomV5RnQ

— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) October 21, 2024

While the Penn State football team has stood out to the five-star defensive end, the Nittany Lions will fall short in their pursuit of Elee.

He has made two trips to Happy Valley during his recruitment. The latest was on June 2. It will be interesting to see if James Franklin and Deion Barnes can make one last attempt to persuade Elee before his decision is made.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation, one of the fastest-growing outlets covering Penn State athletics. Part of the Full Ride network, we are an alumni-owned, community-operated, credentialed media outlet dedicated to providing you with updated and reliable insights for all your favorite Nittany Lion sports. Whether it’s Penn State football, basketball, wrestling, or anything in between, you can find it all on Basic Blues Nation!

Please follow us on our social channels, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and subscribe to our newsletter on Substack for breaking news and notifications. For feedback, questions, or concerns, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on social media.