The Tennessee Volunteers are tired of being knocked out in the Elite Eight. Rick Barnes’ squad has made that round of the NCAA Tournament three years in a row, which is impressive, but the hope is to get even further in 2026-27.
As a result, the Vols have been extremely active in the transfer portal. As of today, the team had already added Jalen Haralson, Miles Rubin, Dai Dai Ames, Braeden Lue, Terrence Hill Jr. and Tyler Lundblade. Haralson and Rubin were two of the most in-demand bigs available, while Ames and Lundblade should provide plenty of wing scoring. Hill is expected to slide into a point guard role.
Speaking of wing scoring, though, the Vols’ major commitment from today could end up being the biggest addition. Juke Harris, who starred for Wake Forest in 2025-26, officially committed to the Vols over Michigan and North Carolina.
Harris, a 6-foot-7/200 pound guard from Salisbury, NC, averaged 21.4 points per game as a sophomore for Wake Forest this past season. The guard shot 44.4% from the field and even pulled down 6.5 rebounds per game for the Demon Deacons.
Harris was one of the top-rated wings available in the portal. The Vols started getting momentum for Harris last week, when On3’s Pete Nakos reported that there was “growing confidence” the guard would land in Knoxville. On Monday morning, Harris withdrew his name from the NBA Draft and committed to Tennessee.
Rick Barnes has just put the cherry on top of a stellar transfer portal cycle as the Volunteers clearly delivered on their promise to spend big. Despite returning just two players from last year’s roster, Tennessee will more than likely be a top five team next season and a threat to win the SEC and finally make that elusive Final Four.
Tennessee is left with just one more spot to fill on the roster.