- South Carolina freshman Eli Ellis has earned enough money from NIL deals to retire, according to his father.
- Ellis has over 2.1 million social media followers, ranking him fifth among Division I men’s college basketball players.
- He leverages his large following to secure brand deals with companies like Under Armour, Fortnite, and Dr. Pepper.
One of the most popular men’s basketball players in the Southeastern Conference recently bought a million-dollar lake house in North Carolina and has gotten so wealthy from his name, image and likeness he could retire from work now if we wanted, according to his father.
But this particular player isn’t a top NBA prospect like Arkansas point guard Darius Acuff or big Tennessee forward Nate Ament.
Instead, he’s a short freshman bench player on the 14th-place team in the league.
His name is Eli Ellis, a guard for South Carolina who has more than 2.1 million followers combined on social media, ranking him No. 5 nationally in Division I men’s college basketball, more than double of any other player in the SEC, according to NIL marketplace company Opendorse.
This means he’s already made a fortune off of his NIL.
“He actually could retire now,” his father and former coach Jeremy Ellis told USA TODAY Sports. “He’s been making a lot of money since really 10th grade. And he doesn’t spend it.”
This might even make him the business model of the future for college athletes — a social media entrepreneur who also happens to be a good player, too. He’s skilled at both. Not many are. And he’s only 20 years old heading into the SEC tournament this week in Nashville.
“Especially in my position, if you’re at two million followers and you really know what you’re doing, you can make seven figures,” Eli Ellis said in an interview with USA TODAY Sports.
How Eli Ellis built his social media following
Ellis by his own admission can’t dunk a basketball — or at least hasn’t in a game yet, he said. But he became such a highlight reel on the court over the years that his social media following just kept growing after getting his first iPhone in ninth grade.
Ellis traces it back to about 2021, when he and his younger brother Isaac led their Moravian Prep team in North Carolina to a win against top high school recruit Mikey Williams of Vertical Academy. The Ellis brothers combined for nearly 60 points despite being in ninth and eighth grade, raising eyeballs in the basketball world and gaining a follow from NBA star Kevin Durant.
A documentary show featuring the brothers followed in 2022 from the sports media company Overtime.
Now look at him. Ellis ranks No. 5 in men’s college basketball with 1.4 million followers on TikTok, 690,000 on Instagram and 6,400 on X, in addition to his 55,000 subscribers on YouTube.
The Top 5 most-followed men’s college players
Here are the top five most-followed men’s players in Division I college basketball this season on TikTok, Instagram and X combined, according to data provided to USA TODAY Sports by Opendorse.
- Mikey Williams, Sacramento State guard, has 5.2 million followers combined, as of March 4. Williams was a middle school and high school basketball star who grew his own following with similar basketball highlight reels.
- Shaqir O’Neal, Sacramento State forward, has 4.26 million followers as of March 4. He is the son of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal.
- Hansel Enmanuel has 4.23 million followers after starting the season at Austin Peay. He has gone viral for his basketball skills despite having only one arm.
- Bryce James, freshman guard at Arizona, has 2.9 million followers and is the son of NBA legend LeBron James.
- Ellis, whose team plays Oklahoma Wednesday, March 11, in the SEC Tournament.
How Eli Ellis makes his NIL money
Huge social-media followings appeal to brands, who want to market themselves to that audience. Ellis has gotten paid to promote brands such as Under Armour, Fortnite and Dr. Pepper.
Such deals also come with perks. A car dealership last year gifted him a new Chevrolet Traverse before his freshman year at South Carolina. Instead of buying jewelry, his father said Eli will do a deal with a jewelry company in which he’ll get paid with jewelry and cash.
In between those paid spots, Ellis posts relatable content about basketball and everyday life. On TikTok, 95 of his posts received at least one million views, including one last year that got nine million views. The latter video shows one of his younger brothers reacting with displeasure after his other brother takes a lick from the little brother’s ice cream cone.
“In the age of NIL, collegiate athletes need to cultivate brands that are authentic and resonate with fans,” said Natasha Brison, an associate professor at South Carolina with expertise in sports marketing. “Social media is an optimal way to leverage an athlete brand, maximize fan engagement, and attract potential sponsors. Given that Eli is only a freshman, he is the epitome of what an athlete should aim to be (and do) in athlete brand development.”
Eli Ellis has three jobs
He’s not ready to retire, even if he could. He is a basketball player, social media influencer and a businessman who runs a training academy for $189 per annual subscriber for those who want to improve their basketball and social media games.
He also recently started a podcast that is produced by The College Sports Company. His first guest was Gary Vaynerchuk, an entrepreneur and author who has taken Ellis under his wing.
‘He is not a typical college athlete,’ said Russell Wilde Jr., chief operating officer of The College Sports Company. ‘He is a true creator who values his audience and understands the platform he has as a college athlete to grow his personal brand.’
But one job is still more important to him than the rest.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned is keeping the main thing the main thing, and that’s basketball,” Eli Ellis said. “That’s how I got here. That’s how I blew up.”
Sharing the wealth with teammates
Ellis’ height is listed at 6-feet, though he said on the same podcast last week he’s 5-11. He enters the SEC tournament this week as his team’s fifth-leading scorer with 8.7 points per game for the Gamecocks, who finished the regular season with a 13-18 record. He played in 27 games as a freshman, all coming off the bench as he strives to realize the potential he showed while playing in high school for the YNG Dreamerz of the Overtime Elite league in Atlanta.
He won the league’s MVP award twice after scoring more than 30 points per game in consecutive years, helping rack up social-media highlights in the meantime. One thing feeds the other.
“I need to have a good year basketball-wise, and the social media stuff will follow if I’m playing good,” Ellis said.
He previously said he posted on social media two or three times per day and now only does it about twice a week during the season, all from his one phone. He shares certain proceeds from it sometimes with teammates — including headphones or gift cards from restaurants where he has deals.
“Involving them helps a lot, especially with (how) I get a lot of attention,” he said. “I try to let everybody feel some of the love.”
He plans to keep it going as an influencer and entrepreneur whenever his basketball career ends. In the meantime, he just wants to keep his freshman season going in Nashville this week. .
“We have the opportunity to make a run for sure,” Ellis said.
The views surely will follow if they do.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com