Juke Harris taking official visit to Tennessee after signing with Vols

Juke Harris is scheduled to arrive on Monday for an official visit with Tennessee basketball, a week after committing to and signing with the Vols out of the NCAA Transfer Portal. Harris also removed his named from the NBA Draft last week after picking Tennessee over Michigan, North Carolina and Louisville.

The visit with Harris runs through Wednesday.

“We are thrilled Juke made the decision to join our program at Tennessee,” Rick Barnes said in a press release last week. “Juke is not only an explosive talent, but also a humble young man from a great family.”

Harris is the No. 1 overall player in the Rivals Transfer Portal rankings after averaging 21.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 35.1 minutes per game last season, starting all 35 games for Wake.

He was the ACC’s Most Improved Player award winner after taking a massive jump from his freshman year, when he averaged 6.1 points in 19.0 minutes per game off the bench in 2024-25.

“One of the premier scorers nationally,” Barnes said, “he possesses the ability to put the ball in the basket in numerous ways, from all over the floor. Juke can take over a game and impose his will at any time. He is a versatile player who can handle the ball in transition and has the length to make an impact defensively.”

Juke Harris is seventh player in Tennessee’s transfer class

Harris is the seventh player Tennessee has signed from the NCAA Transfer Portal, following guards Tyler Lundblade (Belmont), Dai Dai Ames (Cal) and Terrence Hill Jr. (VCU) and forwards Miles Rubin (Loyola Chicago), Jalen Haralson (Notre Dame) and Braedan Lue (Kennesaw State).

Tennessee’s 2026-27 roster overhaul — the Vols are down to one roster spot available after adding Harris — came after seven players in total left the program last month. Six entered the NCAA Transfer Portal: J.P. Estrella (Michigan), Cade Phillips (Texas A&M), Jaylen Carey (Missouri), Bishop Boswell (Maryland), Amari Evans (Texas) and Clarence Massamba (UC Davis). Ethan Burg returned home to Israel.

Harris took an official visit to Michigan on April 11, attending the national championship parade in Ann Arbor, and hosted UNC coaches in an in-home visit. Barnes and his staff did their own in-home visit on April 12, after Harris returned from the Michigan visit.

Two weeks ago Barnes and three assistant coaches flew to California to meet with Harris, where he was training for the NBA Draft.

Tennessee was a finalist for Juke Harris in 2024 recruiting class

Harris picked Wake Forest over Tennessee as a four-star prospect in the 2024 recruiting class. He was ranked No. 95 overall in the 2024 class and was the No. 34 small forward and No. 9 overall prospect in the state of North Carolina. 

Harris took official visits to Wake Forest, Tennessee, Houston and Virginia Tech during his high school recruitment, before ultimately picking Wake over the Vols, committing to the Demon Deacons on March 24, 2023. 

“As someone we were familiar with from his high school recruitment,” Barnes said, “Juke was a primary target for us as soon as the portal opened and he fits well with the roster we have assembled.”