Rick Barnes and the Tennessee Volunteers have been cleaning up the transfer portal this month, securing three commitments to bolster their depth next season. While the focus has primarily been on players from smaller schools, it appears the Volunteers are an emerging threat to field one of the best players available across the country.
On3.com's Pete Nacos reports that Tennessee has emerged as one of the "top three schools to look at" for guard Jukes Harris in the transfer portal. However, it's worth noting that a decision isn't expected any time soon as the young guard is also evaluating his options to turn professional depending on where he's projected to land in the 2026 NBA Draft.
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A week earlier, most reporting suggested that the Michigan Wolverines were in a very strong position to land Harris' commitment. Since then, the offensive efforts of both the Volunteers and the North Carolina Tar Heels have made it a three-team battle.
Nakos elaborated that Harris visited Michigan during the championship program and that he walked away from the program with "confidence" it gave him a good chance to earn his commitment. However, after that, home visits to Tennessee and North Carolina have them set up for a tough battle with Michigan to land a star guard.
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The 6-foot-7 Harris is rated as the fourth-best player in the 2026 college basketball transfer portal by On3.com and Rivals. Jeff Borzello of ESPN ranked him the sixth-best player on the market and the second-best shooting guard.
In his final season at Wake Forest, the second-year guard averaged 21.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He shot 33.2 percent from beyond the arc, averaged 2.5 three-pointers per game, while getting to the free-throw line frequently (7.1 attempts per game) and shot 78.3 percent from the charity stripe.
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A report for Barnes and the Volunteers' coaching staff this season emphasizes adding more capable scorers to the roster. Harris, the reigning ACC Most Improved Player, scored more than 30 points three times this season and reached more than 27 points in eight contests. He also finished nine games with double-digit free-throw attempts.
Given how aggressive Tennessee has been in recruiting Harris under Barnes, it's very possible that the program is able to lure him away from Michigan and North Carolina. If that happens, the zero commitment would certainly mean that next season's roster is the most expensive in program history.
