Tennessee may still have room to add one more piece, and a familiar name has surfaced for that opening.
Jalen Washington, the 6-10, 245-pound power forward who spent last season at Vanderbilt, has been linked to the Volunteers by On3. The former Commodore was granted a temporary injunction on Friday that gives him a fifth season of eligibility, and Joe Tipton reported that Tennessee is the “clear-frontrunner” for Washington now.
Washington’s path has taken him from North Carolina, where he played his first three seasons, to Vanderbilt last year. In his lone season with the Commodores, he put up 8.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
His case against the NCAA was still working through the process when he suited up for the Chicago Bulls in NBA Summer League. Washington played in two games there, logging a little over five minutes per contest.
He also had a strong showing against Tennessee in March, posting seven points, seven rebounds and three blocks in Vanderbilt’s SEC Tournament win over the Volunteers.
Rick Barnes had already acknowledged several weeks ago that Tennessee still had a roster spot available after its run of transfer portal additions. The frontcourt is still a little light, even with DeWayne Brown back and Miles Rubin, Christian Fermin and Braeden Lue in the mix. Jalen Haralson can also handle some minutes at the 4.
If Tennessee lands Washington, Barnes would get another big body inside and another option to deepen a group that could already rank among the nation’s best.
In Other News...
Tennessees Biggest Fall Camp Battle Could Shape This Offense
Fall camp is underway in Knoxville, and Josh Heupel is entering his sixth season with a roster that still has some familiar offensive pieces to work with. Tennessee brings back DeSean Bishop, Mike Matthews, Braylon Staley and Ethan Davis, plus four returning offensive linemen, giving the staff a base to build around as the unit starts sorting out roles and timing before the season gets moving.
The biggest question, though, sits in the quarterback room, where Faizon Brandon and George MacIntyre are competing for the job that will steer this offense. The receiver group is also in flux after losing Chris Brazzell, opening the door for players such as Radarious Jackson and Travis Smith Jr. while five-star recruit Tristan Keys gets his first real chance to push for a spot in the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessees New Look Roster Just Reached A Key Preseason Stage
Tennessee basketball has wrapped up its summer workouts, marking one of the clearest checkpoints yet for a roster that has been retooled and rebuilt for the 2026-2027 season. With new transfers mixed in alongside returning players, the Vols have spent the offseason learning how to function as a group, and Garrett Medenwald, Tennessees director of sports performance, has been part of shaping that process behind the scenes.
The next phase now shifts from training to live competition, with an exhibition against Duke on Oct. 20 offering the first real look at how the pieces fit together. After that, the Vols will turn quickly to the opener at home against Wofford on Nov. 3, a game that will begin answering the bigger question surrounding this new-look roster: how fast can it turn offseason work into something ready for the season that follows? [Read more 🡒]
Kim Caldwells New Lady Vols Core Has One Big Summer Question
Kim Caldwell is spending the summer building out a fresh Lady Vols roster, and the early work is already centered on chemistry, conditioning and figuring out what this new 15-player group can become. Caldwell met with reporters alongside Kaylene Smikle, Fatmata Janneh and Jada Eads, giving a first real look at how Tennessee is approaching practices and how the staff is trying to blend newcomers with returning pieces in the months before the season.
The biggest storyline around that group is less about talent than availability, because several of the players helping form the new core are working back from injury interruptions that shaped their recent pasts. Smikle, Janneh and Eads all bring different kinds of promise, but the question around Tennessee this summer is how quickly that promise can translate into a functioning rotation once everyone is back on the floor and the roster starts to take on a clearer identity. [Read more 🡒]