TikTok star and 4-star prospect Eli Ellis commits to South Carolina basketball

South Carolina men’s basketball has its second commit for the Class of 2025 — and he’s already a star.

A social media star, that is.

Eli Ellis, a four-star recruit from Hickory, North Carolina, listed South Carolina among his top five schools Monday afternoon. On Wednesday, he announced a commitment to Lamont Paris and the Gamecocks over Mississippi State, VCU, Virginia Tech and College of Charleston.

Ellis has a large following on TikTok and Instagram, with over 725K followers and nearly 43 million likes on the TikTok social media channel. Ellis and his brother Issac, also a Division I prospect, have a YouTube series called “Family Business with the Ellis Brothers.”

247Sports Composite ranks Ellis as a four-star prospect and 89th overall for the Class of 2025.

“Why South Carolina? Coach Paris and them, they believed in me. They’re in the SEC, big time,” he said in announcing his commitment through an On3 live stream. “Nobody really thought I could play on that level, play in the SEC. Coach Paris and that staff really believed in me and have a plan for me to play there. I really trust them.”

Ellis played with Overtime Elite last season, winning the OTE championship in March. He was youngest player to sign with the league as a sophomore and was named the league’s most improved player at the end of the season. Ellis led the league with 36 3-pointers, five more than any other player during the regular season.

“My best skill is shooting,” he told On3.

Ellis, now a high school junior, will play with Moravian Prep in North Carolina this year and also with YNG Dreamerz in the OTE. Moravian Prep also competes in Overtime Elite League. He hit a game-winning 3-pointer in a win over the Burlington School last week.

Ellis joins Powdersville High three-star power foward Hayden Assemian, who committed in September. They’re the only two commitments from 2025 for the Gamecocks.

As a junior, he still has two more seasons of high school basketball to play before arriving at USC. He’ll be able to sign with the Gamecocks around this time next year.

“When I get there, you’re gonna expect a winner,” he said Wednesday in the On3 interview. “Everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve won and competed on every level. I’ve never been on a losing team. When I get there we’re going to win, make it to the NCAA Tournament, hopefully Final Four.

“I’m going to be bringing some more guys with me. Y’all stay tuned.”