Tennessee basketball fans won’t have to wait much longer to get their first look at the 2026-27 roster.
With the Vols’ opening exhibition game less than two weeks away and a trip to Duke coming five days later, Saturday offers the first chance to see the new group in action. Tennessee is hosting a free, open scrimmage on Rocky Top, and it comes on a day already packed with action as Auburn visits Knoxville for football.
The basketball scrimmage is scheduled for 11:30 A.M. to 1:00 P.M., with gates opening at 11:00 A.M. It will not overlap with the football game.
There’s plenty of reason for the buzz. Tennessee reached the Elite Eight once again, and the offseason only added to the anticipation after the Vols landed one of the country’s top transfer portal classes.
A few new faces should draw immediate attention. Juke Harris, the Wake Forest transfer, arrives with serious scoring credentials after averaging 21.4 points per game last season and earning Second Team All-ACC honors. He also enters the year as a Blue Ribbon Yearbook Preseason Third Team All-American.
Terrance Hill Jr. is another guard worth watching. After two seasons at VCU, he transferred in following a season in which he was named the A-10 Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
Hill averaged 15 points per game and shot 37% from three last season. He also delivered in the NCAA tournament, scoring 34 points against North Carolina and hitting the dagger shot in VCU’s upset of the Tar Heels.
Tennessee’s freshman class brings another layer of intrigue, led by Chris Washington Jr. The state’s top-ranked prospect initially committed to Alabama before deciding to stay home. At 6-foot-9, he could see meaningful minutes early under Rick Barnes.
Other new names in the mix include Miles Rubin, Tyler Lundblade, Dai Dai Ames, Braedan Lue, Marquis Clark, Jalen Washington, Jalen Haralson, Christian Fermin, and Manny Green.
In Other News...
Alex Golesh Had A Telling Read On How Neyland Shifted This Game
Auburn left Neyland Stadium with a 24-14 loss to Tennessee, but head coach Alex Golesh came away talking as much about the shift in his own offense as the final score. After a slow start and some penalties that hampered the Tigers early, Golesh said the group found better rhythm in the second half, with the run game helping settle things down and the passing attack starting to look more efficient.
For Tennessee, that kind of midgame adjustment is exactly the sort of wrinkle Neyland has a way of amplifying. The Volunteers were able to lean on the atmosphere and the flow of the game as Auburns offense began to click more cleanly, but Goleshs comments suggested his team left with a clearer sense of where the execution improved and where the early mistakes made the difference. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee's Offense Just Sparked A Debate Fans Can't Ignore
Tennessee got the result it needed against Auburn, but the way it got there left plenty to sort through. The Vols pulled out a 24-14 win to move to 4-1, and the offenses first-half unevenness put an immediate spotlight on true freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon before the ground game took over and steadied things.
DeSean Bishop was the difference-maker, putting together a career-best outing with 220 rushing yards and three touchdowns to carry Tennessee through a tense finish. Even as the offense searched for consistency, the defense helped close the door, with Dejuan Lane adding an interception and a sack in the second half to keep Auburn from mounting a late push. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Just Added More Fuel To A Debate Fans Can't Ignore
Tennessee left Auburn with a 24-14 win that nudged the Vols to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in SEC play, and the reward on the national side was just as notable. The coaches moved Tennessee up three spots to No. 14 in the latest poll, placing the Vols sixth among SEC teams and keeping them in the thick of a conference race that still feels wide open in October.
The bigger conversation, though, is happening under center. Josh Heupel addressed the quarterback change during the game but stopped short of naming a starter for next week, leaving Tennessee to head into Arkansas with the position still unsettled. For a team that has already shown it can win while sorting through that question, the next week now feels like another test of both timing and trust. [Read more 🡒]