Tennessee’s offseason buzz has been driven by the newcomers, and for good reason. The Vols brought in an eight-man transfer portal class loaded with productive names like Juke Harris, Terrence Hill, and Jalen Haralson, a haul that ESPN ranked as the best portal class in the country.
Still, one of Tennessee’s more interesting pieces is already in the building.
Forward DeWayne Brown returned after a freshman year that gave the Vols real production in limited minutes, and he made it clear in April why he decided to stay.
“I like being here,” Brown said. “This is where I want to be.
It wasn’t really a hard decision for me to make the decision to stay. Like I said, it’s where I want to be.
I like Coach (Barnes), I like the program, I like what Tennessee stands for.”
Brown played in 35 games and started 10 as a freshman, finishing with averages of 4.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He was efficient from the floor, shooting 58.6% overall, and he also hit 66% of his free throws. In the NCAA Tournament, he averaged 8.5 minutes per game, and his best showing came in the Elite Eight loss to Michigan, when he posted six points, two rebounds, one assist and one block in 12 minutes.
That kind of first-year output is part of why CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein put Brown on his list of five breakout player candidates for the 2026-2027 season. The list also included Florida’s Isaiah Brown, Kentucky’s Malachi Moreno, Alabama’s London Jemison, and Ole Miss’ Patton Pinkins.
“DeWayne Brown, who I think is an underrated piece for Tennessee, who lost a lot up front with J.P. Estrella going to Michigan and Felix Okpara exhuasting his eligibility,” Rothstein said on his SEC Preview podcast. “I think Brown will have a big role for Tennessee.”
Rothstein also sketched out Tennessee’s projected starting five last week, slotting in Terrence Hill, Dai Dai Ames, Juke Harris, and Jalen Haralson as the four guards with Miles Rubin at center. Rick Barnes is expected to keep mixing and matching as the season goes on, though, and even if Brown isn’t part of the starting five, he looks positioned to be a valuable option off the bench.
In Other News...
Tennessee Just Made Another Move In Its Defensive Reset
Tennessees defensive makeover picked up another layer this week with the addition of Josh Sinagoga to the staff as a defensive analyst, a notable shift for a coach whose recent background has leaned to the offensive side. Sinagoga arrives after stops at Michigan, Youngstown State, Central Michigan, Iowa and Cincinnati, bringing a varied rsum into a reset that has already featured several new defensive hires this offseason.
The move fits the broader urgency around a defense that struggled badly in 2025, when the Volunteers were forced to rethink much of that side of the ball and move on from Tim Banks and some staff members. Tennessee has been aggressive in reshaping the room ever since, and Sinagogas arrival suggests the staff is still looking for every edge it can find while the full blueprint for the new defense continues to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Is In A Massive Recruiting Fight For A Rare 5-Star Back
David Gabriel Georges has become one of the most intriguing recruiting battles in the country, and Tennessee is right in the middle of it. The 5-star running back from Quebec, who has been playing high school football in Chattanooga, has drawn major attention from the Vols and Ohio State, two programs that have clearly treated his recruitment like a priority rather than a routine pursuit.
What makes this race stand out is how aggressively both staffs have pushed to separate themselves before Georges makes his choice by July 22. Tennessee has worked to sell itself hard, while Ohio State has poured resources into the chase with an in-person visit effort in Chattanooga, and the cross-country tug-of-war has only added to the intrigue around a prospect who is rare enough to feel like a program-changing swing. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Just Took A Painful Recruiting Hit Where It Hurts Most
Tennessees 2027 class has still given the staff some reasons to feel good, with Derrick Baker staying put and wide receiver Kesean Bowman already on board. The Vols also remain in the mix for David Gabriel Georges, who is weighing Tennessee against Ohio State, so the class is far from settled even after an active start.
But the latest swing in the trenches is the kind of miss that stings in Knoxville, especially with defensive line and edge-rushing help always at a premium. Tennessee has already had to keep grinding for answers up front, and with the high school board tightening, the staff may need to find help from elsewhere if it wants to build out that part of the class. [Read more 🡒]