When Tennessee rebuilt its 2026-2027 roster this offseason, the message was obvious: this team is going to score. The Vols poured their energy into the transfer portal and came out with an eight-man class that ESPN ranked No. 1, loading up on proven offense instead of focusing on keeping the old core intact.
That approach gives Tennessee a different kind of problem for opponents to solve. The Vols added new starters and depth, but the common thread is clear - they brought in a wave of microwave scorers who can change a game fast. That’s exactly why former Tennessee guard Mark Griffin believes scouting the Vols is going to be a headache.
Speaking Sunday night on The RTI Low-Down with Bob Baskerville and Chris Low, Griffin pointed to the kind of balance Tennessee now has across the roster.
“The one thing that’s hurt Coach Barnes’ teams in the past is that guy that, at the end of the game, your go-to guy, like a Dalton Knecht. And have another Dalton Knecht right there next to him,” Griffin said.
“Scouting reports? You can stop one shooter.
You can. You can limit one shooter.
You can’t limit three. And then you can’t limit two that come off the bench when the others are tired of you’re in foul trouble.
You can look down that bench and go, I got options.”
That’s the heart of the issue for Tennessee’s opponents: there isn’t just one lane to close off. The Vols have size on the wing with Juke Harris and Jalen Haralson, both listed at 6-foot-7, plus perimeter threats in Terrence Hill, Tyler Lundblade, and Dai Dai Ames. If a defense sells out to take away one look, another one is waiting.
The numbers from last season show how much Tennessee has raised its offensive ceiling. The Vols had three double-digit scorers in Ja’Kobi Gillespie at 18.4 points per game, Nate Ament at 16.7, and J.P.
Estrella at 10.0. That’s a solid base, but Tennessee also brought in five players who averaged more than 15.0 points per game at their previous stops.
And the new group doesn’t fit one mold. Tennessee now has players who can spot up and bury threes, others who can get downhill and finish at the rim, and wings who can create a shot from their own spot on the floor. Juke Harris, the former Wake Forest transfer, is one of the names Griffin’s point fits best because he can do all three.
If a defense decides it wants to crowd Harris and Haralson, Tennessee can answer by attacking from the backcourt. Terrence Hill can drive or shoot off the catch, which makes overhelping risky. If the Vols go to the bench, the pressure doesn’t let up, because Lundblade and Ames can still stretch the floor with threes and keep the defense from relaxing.
That’s what makes this roster so tricky to game plan for. Tennessee has multiple ways to attack, and Griffin made it clear the Vols have enough answers to make opposing scouting reports feel incomplete before the game even starts.
In Other News...
Former Michigan Star Puts Neyland Above Every Stadium In College Football
A former Michigan offensive lineman who has settled into Tennessee media is making a familiar kind of claim for Vols fans, only this time the praise is aimed at the place itself. Taylor Lewan, now hosting a Tennessee-based podcast, said Neyland Stadium is the loudest venue in college football, adding his voice to the long-running debate over where the sports best atmosphere really lives.
Lewan never played against Tennessee, but he has spent time inside Neyland as a spectator and came away impressed enough to put it above every other stadium he has experienced. The setting helps explain why the argument carries weight, too, with Neylands massive size and reputation for volume giving the Vols another point of pride whenever the building is packed and the noise starts rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Why Tennessee's Buzzed About EDGE Never Found His Footing
Chaz Colemans Tennessee stint never really got off the ground after the former Penn State EDGE arrived with a buzz and the kind of upside that made him one of the more intriguing additions in the room. Instead, his time with the Vols was interrupted by long stretches away from spring and summer workouts, leaving the staff trying to piece together why a player with his reputation could not establish any real rhythm in Knoxville.
Josh Heupel acknowledged Coleman was working through off-field issues, and the situation grew more complicated as concerns surfaced within the program about his physical condition and day-to-day ability to handle team responsibilities. For Tennessee, it became less about waiting for the talent to show up and more about a player whose path forward had turned uncertain long before anyone expected it to. [Read more 🡒]
Rick Barnes Sees Early Leaders Emerging On Tennessees Rebuilt Roster
Rick Barnes is still in the early part of summer workouts with Tennessees rebuilt roster, but the veteran coach is already seeing signs of who will help set the tone. With so much turnover around the program, leadership matters as much as any drill, and Barnes pointed to a mix of returners, newcomers and even a walk-on as players helping establish the voice of the team.
DeWayne Brown, Terrence Hill Jr., Campbell Duncan and Tyler Lundblade have all stood out in that regard, giving Tennessee a few different personalities to lean on as the group continues to mesh before the break around the Fourth of July. Hill has looked comfortable in the system, Brown has taken on a bigger leadership role, and the early response from that core gives Barnes a first glimpse at how the Vols may organize themselves once the pace picks back up. [Read more 🡒]