He originally committed to play at VMI where his father, Gay Elmore, played. However, he left VMI before ever playing a game to be with his grandfather. He joined an intramural team at Marshall and was recruited to varsity by December 2015. In the 2016-17 season, he averaged 19.7 points per game and was a first team all-Conference USA selection. In his junior season 2017-18, Elmore led Marshall to their first Conference USA Tournament Championship and was named MVP of the tournament. Marshall then received an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament and Elmore led the Herd to their first NCAA Tournament win, an upset of Wichita State, tallying 27 points. He averaged 22.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game as a junior. After the season Elmore declared for the 2018 NBA Draft but did not hire an agent, thus leaving open the possibility of returning to Marshall, which he did. In his senior season, Elmore scored his 2,000th point in a November 28, 2018 game against William & Mary, becoming the third player in school history to achieve the milestone. On March 3, 2019, Elmore became the Conference USA all-time leading scorer, passing UTEP’s Stefon Jackson. Earlier in the season, Elmore became the conference’s all-time assist leader, making him the only current player leading a conference in both categories.. Jon Elmore is the first player in NCAA Division 1 history to have over 2,500 points and over 750 assists. On March 19, 2019 Elmore became Marshall’s all-time leading scorer, breaking the record held by Skip Henderson.
Elmore joined Herd That, a team comprised primarily of Marshall alumni, in The Basketball Tournament 2020. The team is coached by his father, Gay Elmore. He scored 23 points as Herd That fell to Overseas Elite 93-76 in the quarterfinals.
Personal life
Elmore comes from a basketball family. Born and raised in Charleston, WV by his father and mother, Gay and Elizabeth Elmore. His father, Gay Elmore, was VMI's all-time leading scorer and his grandfather, Otmer, played basketball at West Virginia. His brother, Ot, played basketball at Texas–Rio Grande Valley before transferring to Marshall to play alongside Jon. On March 9, 2019, he became engaged to his long-term girlfriend and former Marshall University athlete, Tori Dent.
