Before Travis Hunter has even played a snap in the NFL, he has seemingly already inspired the next generation of football players.
Nation's No. 1 Recruit Announces Plans to Play Two Positions in College originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Before Travis Hunter has even played a snap in the NFL, he has seemingly already inspired the next generation of football players.
The former No. 1 overall recruit in the 2022 class went on to have a historic college football career, excelling at both wide receiver and cornerback, and capped off his Colorado career by winning the Heisman. He parlayed his success into being the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and already has up and coming players hoping to replicate his journey.
The latest player to express a desire to play two positions at the college level is 2026 five-star EDGE Zion Elee. The Maryland commit ranks as the No. 1 player in the country according to Rivals' industry rankings and is expected to be a dominant pass rusher at the next level.
However, aside from chasing after quarterbacks on defense, Elee shared to X that he also wants to be catching passes from them on offense.
Maryland Five-Star Plus+ EDGE commit Zion Elee says he will also play WR in college⚡️
— Rivals (@Rivals) July 17, 2025
Elee is the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2026 class.https://t.co/S82tHvuBsspic.twitter.com/0ZiMq9SbPw
According to ESPN, Elee recorded 56 tackles, 10 sacks and three forced fumbles this past season for Maryland powerhouse Saint Frances Academy.
Although he is listed as a defensive end and tight end on MaxPreps, there are no receiving stats available for him. With that being said, he does have elite measurables that any quarterback would love to have as a target.
According to recruiting insider Billy Tucker, Elee ran a 4.43 40-yard dash, had a broad jump over 11 feet and also has an 80-inch wingspan at 6-foot-4.
In terms of where things get complicated for Elee and his aspirations to play both ways, he is listed at 220 pounds, which is only nine pounds less than NFL star DK Metcalf, one of the larger receivers at the highest level. The Maryland staff will presumably want Elee to put on a few pounds once he gets to campus, and having a 245-pound+ receiver isn't common by any means.
It seems more logical to play defensive end and tight end, but if Maryland is willing to give it a shot that is all that matters.
Related: DJ Lagway Left Speechless After Fan's $6,000 Gesture
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
