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Connection with UT staff led Ellis to quickly commit to Texas

Once again, the Longhorns made an aggressive move as the first high-major program to offer a rising talent, and once again, they were rewarded with a commitment. Emarion Ellis, a 2021 guard from Davenport, Iowa, is the latest to quickly pull the trigger after a UT offer and join the commitment list.

“We’ve been keeping in touch for a while… I felt like what I have right now in my situation and who I have supporting me I feel like Texas has that and what I am looking for,” Ellis said.

Ellis’s recruitment was set to explode after an impressive weekend on the hardwood. Rivals.com Basketball Analyst Eric Bossi was in the gym during Ellis’s recent performances and came away very impressed.

“I had the opportunity to watch Ellis with the Iowa Barnstormers over the weekend and the offer is no fluke,” wrote Bossi earlier today. “In fact, after watching Ellis, I am of the belief that he is a legitimate Rivals150 level prospect and somebody that we need to consider elevating to four-stars. He has size, tremendous burst and is a playmaker off the dribble. He’ll turn 17 this week, so Ellis is also on the young side for a senior to be and is just scratching the surface. ‘I’ve been working,” Ellis told Rivals.com. “I’m glad people are starting to see it.’ I don’t think the Texas offer will be Ellis' last from high-major programs and it certainly didn’t surprise him as the Longhorns had been in plenty of contact. He’s also been hearing more from a local school.”

Now, more high-major programs might reach out, but Ellis is locked in as a Longhorn before anyone else could make a big move.

When Ellis spent time building a relationship with Shaka Smart and Director of Basketball Operations Cody Hatt, he really appreciated the conversations beyond basketball about life and growing as a person in addition to growing on the court. In fact, he felt such a connection with the UT coaches he didn’t even need to see anything about the campus.

“We talked about life. We didn’t need to talk about [the campus.] I just felt like that’s just what it’s all about. Being coached and who you’re being coached by can make you a better person,” Ellis said. “I want to go for basketball, but not just that.”

Ellis said he recently weighed in at 178 pounds and modestly lists himself at 6-4. He said he can score “whenever he wants to,” but has taken pride in getting teammates involved and impacting the game in other ways. Expect him to make a big jump in the Rivals.com rankings when updated. Ellis is also a standout football player for Assumption High School, playing both ways at quarterback and safety.

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