Tennessee’s roster makeover got a lot more interesting last week when the Vols added Vanderbilt transfer center Jalen Washington. He brings SEC experience and a proven production track record, and his arrival gives Tennessee more lineup flexibility than it had before.
That flexibility is exactly what makes the starting five so hard to pin down. The bigger question isn’t just who opens the game - it’s whether Rick Barnes wants to lean big or small, because Tennessee can clearly go either direction.
Two names feel locked in no matter what. VCU transfer Terrence Hill Jr is the obvious starting point guard after averaging 15 points and 2.9 assists per game as a sophomore last season, and Wake Forest wing Juke Harris looks set to join him after putting up 21.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last season. If they’re healthy, both should be in the first five.
From there, the puzzle starts to get messy. Before Washington arrived, Tennessee’s backcourt depth made a four-perimeter look feel like the natural answer.
That’s not so simple now. The Vols suddenly have enough frontcourt options to make a two-big alignment realistic again.
Barnes has used both looks before. Tennessee started two big men last season and again in 2022-23.
The 2023-24 SEC Championship team opened games with four perimeter players. In other years, Tennessee has lived in the gray area with a true stretch four such as Igor Milicic Jr or Grant Williams.
One factor that could tilt things is the health of Belmont transfer Tyler Lundblade. He entered the summer looking like the best bet to be the third starting guard alongside Hill and Harris. The reigning Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year offers length at 6-foot-5 and 195 pounds, plus floor spacing and scoring that doesn’t depend on constant touches.
Cal transfer Dai Dai Ames is another option, and he brings better on-ball defense and big scoring numbers from last season. But he’s more ball-dependent offensively, which matters on a team where Hill and Harris are both expected to handle plenty of usage. That makes Ames look more like a bench scorer unless the lineup changes around him.
Lundblade’s back injury complicated that picture. He missed most of the summer, and while Tennessee doesn’t think it’s serious, it did slow his progress as he adjusts to the SEC. It’s something worth watching.
If Tennessee goes big, the frontcourt seems straightforward enough. Washington would start at center and sophomore DeWayne Brown would handle power forward. That would give the Vols real size inside, though it would also put both players in tougher spots against perimeter-heavy matchups.
The catch is the fifth spot. Notre Dame transfer Jalen Haralson is one of Tennessee’s five best players, but he made only five three-pointers last season as a 6-foot-6 wing.
Starting Haralson with Washington and Brown would mean three starters who combined for just 15 made threes last season. Tennessee could still do it, but that seems unlikely for a team that put such an emphasis on shooting while building the roster.
That leaves Lundblade or Ames for the last starting job, and if Lundblade is healthy, he looks like the more likely fit.
A small lineup would probably push Haralson into the four spot, with Hill, Harris and either Lundblade or Ames filling out the perimeter. Then the question becomes Washington or Brown at center.
Washington is the cleaner fit as a true five at 6-foot-10, with better shot blocking and alley-oop finishing. But Brown has generated plenty of buzz this summer, and there doesn’t seem to be any concern around the program about his ability to handle some minutes at center.
For now, the most likely opening five looks like Terrence Hill Jr, Tyler Lundblade, Juke Harris, DeWayne Brown and Jalen Washington.
That’s only a mid-August read, though, and not one I’d call ironclad. Tennessee has several different ways to line up, and that’s a good problem to have.
It gives the Vols options, and it suggests they can tailor their approach to the opponent. In all, there are seven SEC-caliber starters on this roster in my eyes.
If that prediction holds, Ames and Haralson would be the first two off the bench, with Braedan Lue and Miles Rubin also in key reserve roles. Freshmen Ralph Scott and Manny Green would be competing for steady minutes as the 10th man.
In Other News...
Tennessee Is Building Early Buzz With A Running Back Fans Should Know
Kesean Bowman is already doing more than just locking in his own future at Tennessee. The top Volunteers commit in the 2027 class has been working the 2028 trail too, pushing to get running back prospect Zachary Belyeu to join him in Knoxville. Belyeu, who plays at North Cobb High School in Georgia, has put together an early rsum that includes more than 1,000 rushing yards in his first two seasons, and he already has multiple offers as his recruitment starts to pick up.
Zachary Belyeus list of suitors gives Tennessee some real company in the chase, but the Vols have clearly made an impression early. He has singled out running backs coach DeRail Sims and head coach Josh Heupel as part of what stands out in the program, and he is expected to get a closer look with a visit to Knoxville this fall. For Tennessee, the appeal is obvious: landing Bowman gives the class a head start, and building around that kind of connection could make Belyeu a name to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Dobbs Gets Another NFL Chance Vols Fans Will Want To Follow
Josh Dobbs is getting another NFL opportunity, this time with the Detroit Lions after being released by the New England Patriots. The former Tennessee quarterback remains a familiar name for Vols fans, and his latest stop gives him a chance to stick in a quarterback room built around starter Jared Goff.
Dobbs now heads into the preseason in a battle for the backup job, and the competition will not be simple. Rookie Luke Altmyer is also in the mix, adding another layer to a situation Tennessee fans will likely keep an eye on as Dobbs tries to carve out his next role in the league. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Defense Just Took Another Hit At Linebacker
Tennessees defense is trying to absorb another blow at linebacker, this time with Jaedon Harmon sidelined by an injury that will keep him out for the entire 2026 season. The setback lands hard for a unit that already had to adjust to the suspension of Arion Carter and the season-ending injury to Miami transfer Jadais Richard, leaving the Volunteers thinner than they hoped at a spot where depth matters in a hurry.
Harmon had been one of the more encouraging young pieces in the room, a second-year player whose early contributions last season gave Tennessee reason to believe he could keep climbing. Instead, the Volunteers now have to regroup without him, and the timing only adds to the uncertainty around a defense that has already had more moving parts than it wanted before the season even settles in. [Read more 🡒]