As college football enters the back half of the season, recruiting is starting to heat up. And so it the drama. Maryland head coach Mike Locksley took aim, albeit indirectly, at Shane Beamer and South Carolina this week after five-star defensive end Zion Elee, a Maryland commit, made an official visit to Columbia for the Gamecocks' matchup against Alabama.
Appearing on 106.7 The Fan on Wednesday, Locksley was asked about Elee's trip to South Carolina. His response dropped like a grenade wrapped in a smile.
"Why would I be mad for Zion to make five to ten grand to go down to South Carolina and he's been one of those guys that's been really loyal to this area, loyal to me and the program that we've created," Locksley said. "We have constant dialogue, so some of these schools have the ability to where they take kids to come take visits, and they hide it behind the NIL stuff."
Then, as if realizing how quickly those words would light up the college football internet, Locksley added: “I’m not saying that’s what has happened.”
Locksley's words hit a nerve because NIL had become both the new frontier and the new gray area of college recruiting. His phrasing implied that South Carolina, and schools like it, are paying recruits to visit under NIL pretenses, something that would push ethical and possibly regulatory boundaries.
Was it a direct accusation? Not exactly. But the "I'm not saying that's what happened" didn't exactly erase the implication. And for Beamer and company, it's familiar territory. The Gamecocks and Terrapins have been through this before.
Rewind to 2021. On National Signing Day, Beamer all but accused Maryland of orchestrating a behind-the-scenes flip when linebacker Jaishawn Barham backed out of his commitment to the Gamecocks at the eleventh hour to sign with the Terps.
“When this particular young man committed on Saturday, about 10 minutes later I got a phone call … that said, ‘Just so you know, it’s all part of the plan,’” Beamer said that day. “He’s going to flip on Wednesday and go to Maryland.”
That moment drew national attention, painting Beamer vs. Locksley dynamic as recruiting rivals caught in a chess match. And here we are again, three years later, same storyline, different recruit.
Elee, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound defensive end from St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, is the No. 1 ranked defensive end in the Class of 2026, according to 247Sports. He committed to Maryland last December but has continued to explore his options. His visit to South Carolina was not random, either. The Gamecocks have built an East Coast pipeline in the recruiting world that runs straight through Maryland high schools, especially St. Frances, where Barham also played. That alone makes Elee's visit a symbolic moment, and a potential powder keg if he wavers on his commitment.
Locksley's comment may have been less about South Carolina and more about frustration with the system as a whole. NIL had fundamentally changed how coaches manage loyalty, communication, and leverage. But calling out another school publicly, especially a program you've slashed with before, sets the stage for another high-profile back-and-forth.
In this era of college football, recruits have the power now with real financial leverage, freedom of moment, and the ability to visit where they please. If South Carolina has made a strong impression on Elee, expect that relationship to continue regardless of public noise.