"They can relate to the 6-foot white kid that can't dunk": USC Gamecocks signee Eli Ellis talks about relatability with LSU's Flau’jae Johnson

USC Gamecocks signee Eli Ellis said that he has a large fan base because a lot of people can relate to him.

When talking with LSU’s Flau’Jae Johnson in a "Best of Both Worlds" interview that premiered on Friday on her YouTube channel, Ellis said (Timestamp: 19:58):

“They're like, 'Why do you have such, like, a following? Like, you play on a big level, you score a lot of points, but ... why are your fans so engaged?'

“I was like, ''Cause they can relate to me.' They can’t relate to the Alex Sarr or Amen Thompson. They can relate to the 6-foot white kid that can’t dunk. ... That’s why I have such a big following, and that’s why people want to see my story.”

Ellis has a large social media following. The shooting guard for YNG Dreamerz of the Overtime Elite is one of the most popular players in the Class of 2025. He has over one million followers on TikTok alone and another 600,000 plus on his Instagram account. According to WSN, he has an NIL value of $186,000, thanks to his strong social media presence.

Ellis, a four-star prospect, is known for not just his basketball posts but also fun posts that are unrelated to basketball.

Ellis is also an avid gamer, especially Fortnite. He once shared his excitement with his fans on Instagram while playing chapter 6 of Fortnite.

Eli Ellis’ basketball game is good, too

Despite saying he is not the typical basketball player fans know, Eli Ellis is one of the best basketball players in his class.

The 6-foot-1 shooting guard’s game has seen constant improvements since he joined the YNG Dreamerz in the Overtime Elite.

In the 2022-2023 season, Ellis averaged 13.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He was named the Most Improved Player of Overtime Elite after leading the league in 3-pointers, making 43.7% of his shots.

Ellis' best year yet at Overtime Elite came in the 2023-2024 season as he won the MVP award after averaging 33.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg and 5.1 apg for the YNG Dreamerz.