Less than a week after it was reported that forward Elijah Strong intends to enter the transfer portal, two more Gamecocks are reportedly following his lead. Both freshman guard Eli Ellis and big man Jordan Butler reportedly will enter the free agent market this offseason, according to Joe Tipton of On3.
Ellis, a prized recruit coming out of high school, held offers from Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Wake Forest, and more before signing with the Gamecocks. His younger brother and former USC commit, Isaac Ellis, decommitted from the Gamecocks in November and flipped to Louisville less than a month later. Ellis averaged nine points, three rebounds, and two assists as a reserve this season. His best performance with USC was Nov. 9th against Southern Mississippi, where he scored twenty points, grabbed seven rebounds, and handed out two assists in USC’s 83-79 overtime win versus the Golden Eagles.
Moments after the news broke regarding Ellis, his teammate Jordan Butler made a similar announcement through his agent Mike Naiditch. The Mauldin native and former Missouri Tiger enjoyed moderate success this past season with the Gamecocks, averaging a career-high three points per game, while shooting 48% from the field. He also logged a career-best 11 points in November against Presbyterian. With the Gamecocks, Butler appeared in 53 games and started four times.
Late Monday, a third Gamecock announced his intentions to check out the free agent market. South Carolina’s EJ Walker will enter the transfer portal, per his agents. The 6’8″ freshman forward was a redshirt for SC to start the season but eventually took his redshirt off mid-year and ended the season as a starter. He averaged 17.8 minutes per game in SEC play.
The transfer portal officially opens on April 7th and will remain open for players until April 21st.