Matt Johnson
Rick Barnes and the Tennessee Volunteers have been cleaning up in the transfer portal this month, securing three commitments to bolster their depth next season. While players from smaller schools have primarily been the focus, it appears the Volunteers are an emerging threat to land one of the best players available around the country.
Pete Nakos of On3.com reports that Tennessee has emerged as one of “the three top schools to watch” for guard Juke Harris in the transfer portal. However, it’s worth noting that a decision isn’t expected quickly as the young guard is also evaluating his options of going pro depending on where he’s projected to land in the 2026 NBA Draft.
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A week ago, the majority of reporting suggested that the Michigan Wolverines were in a very strong position to land Harris’ commitment. Since then, aggressive pushes by both the Volunteers and the North Carolina Tar Heels have made it a three-team battle.
Nakos detailed that Harris visited Michigan during its championship program and he left with the program having “confidence” it had a good shot of securing his commitment. Following that, however, in-home visits by Tennessee and North Carolina have positioned them to be neck-and-neck with Michigan to land the star guard.
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Harris, standing at 6-foot-7, is rated by On3.com and Rivals as the fourth-best player in the 2026 college basketball transfer portal. ESPN‘s Jeff Borzello rated him as the sixth-best player on the market and the second-best shooting guard.
In his final season at Wake Forest, the sophomore guard averaged 21.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He shot 33.2 percent from beyond the arc, averaging 2.5 three-pointers per game, while getting to the free-throw line frequently (7.1 attempts per game) and shooting 78.3 percent from the charity stripe.
Related: Insider Sheds Light on Tennessee’s Approach to Transfer Portal
One reported emphasis for Barnes and the Volunteers’ coaching staff this season has been adding more capable scorers to the roster. Harris, the reigning ACC Most Improved Player, scored 30-plus points three times this season and reached 27-plus points in eight contests. He also finished with nine games with double-digit free-throw attempts.
Given how aggressive Tennessee has been in recruiting Harris, led by Barnes, it’s very possible the program is able to pull him away from Michigan and North Carolina. If that happens, the NIL commitment will certainly mean that next season’s roster is the most expensive in program history.
