Tennessee continues to load up in the portal with addition of top-ranked transfer guard

Rick Barnes is putting together an impressive roster ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

On Monday morning, On3’s Joe Tipton reported that Tennessee has received a commitment from Wake Forest transfer guard Juke Harris, who is ranked as the top overall portal player this offseason by On3. He will also be withdrawing his name from the NBA Draft.

Harris, who has two years of eligibility remaining, averaged 21.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game last season as a sophomore at Wake Forest. He shot 44.4 percent from the field and 33.2 percent from deep, making Second Team All-ACC while winning the ACC Most Improved Player of the Year award.

NEWS: Wake Forest transfer guard Juke Harris has committed to Tennessee, he told @On3.

The 6-7 sophomore averaged 21.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game this season. Harris, who has been projected as an early second-round pick, tells @On3 he will also be withdrawing from the NBA… https://t.co/cBkEKLoNKf pic.twitter.com/cmDuVxI53b
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) May 4, 2026

The 6-foot-7 Harris is one of seven incoming portal additions for Barnes, who has also picked up commitments from the likes of VCU’s Terrence Hill Jr. (No. 24 overall in the portal) and Notre Dame’s Jalan Haralson (No. 39). Tennessee also has four incoming freshmen on board, headlined by a couple of four-stars in Chris Washington Jr. and Ralph Scott. The Volunteers are moving from a defensive-minded roster last season that struggled to score at times to an offensive-minded group with players who can score in a variety of ways.

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This has all the makings of a top 10 preseason squad. We’ll see if it’s good enough to get Tennessee over the hump and make the program’s first-ever Final Four.

Kentucky, which has brought in top transfer guards such as Zoom Diallo (Washington) and Alex Wilkins (Furman) this offseason, did not seriously kick the tires on Harris, who chose Tennessee over the likes of Michigan and North Carolina, among others. The Wildcats, which sit at 12 players on board for next season, still have a few open roster spots to potentially fill.

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