Tennessee will have to wait a little longer to see Christian Fermin on the floor.
The incoming transfer forward suffered a fractured left hand on Monday, and a source confirmed to RTI that the injury will keep him out for the rest of summer practice. The expected recovery timeline is 4-6 weeks.
Fermin comes to Knoxville after spending his first four college seasons at VCU. The 6-foot-10, 225-pound center showed real production in his sophomore and junior years before stepping away for all but four games of his senior season.
His best statistical year came as a sophomore, when he averaged 5.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 21.4 minutes per game and started all 38 games for the Rams. He followed that with a junior season in which he put up 4.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 19.4 minutes per game.
Last week, Fermin described the early days of joining Tennessee this way: “I’d say it’s been hard,” Fermin said last week about joining Tennessee. “I feel like there’s a standard here of just like how much work you’re going to put in every day, and I feel like it’s definitely like far beyond like where my college experience so far, like as far as just the amount of work we’re putting in and just the intensity in it. So I’ll say it’s just full of work, just hard work.”
Even as he works to round out his offense, Fermin arrives with defensive traits that jump off the page. He posted a 7.7% block rate as a junior and a 7.9% block rate as a sophomore, numbers that ranked 50th and 46th nationally, respectively.
Tennessee added heavily in the transfer portal to reinforce its frontcourt this offseason. Along with Fermin, the Vols brought in Braedan Lue from Kennesaw State and Miles Rubin from Loyola (Chicago), while DeWayne Brown II returns. All four can handle center duties or slide to the four in bigger lineups.
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The new surface is in place for fall camp scrimmages and the run into a schedule that opens at home against Furman on Sept. 5, 2026. From there, the slate brings the usual SEC grind and an early showcase with Texas in a Checker Neyland atmosphere, giving the renovated field an immediate stage as Tennessee starts another season in front of a packed Neyland. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessees Transfer Haul Just Earned A Ranking Vols Fans Will Debate
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The ranking also sets up a season-long debate for Tennessee fans, because the Vols are expected to see plenty of other highly regarded players along the way and their own newcomers will be measured against that standard. Haralson comes over from Notre Dame, Hill from VCU and Harris from Wake Forest, each bringing a rsum that suggests immediate help. The question now is which of those additions ends up looking like the best fit once the games start, and whether Tennessees transfer haul ends up being remembered as merely deep or truly elite. [Read more 🡒]
Lady Vols Offer First Look At Kim Caldwells Massive Reset
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The turnover has not stopped with the players, either, as the staff has also been reshaped while Tennessee starts mapping out its next season. The Lady Vols have already announced several official game dates, including matchups with Belmont, Virginia Tech and Baylor, with another date against UCLA still pending, giving the first clear outline of how quickly this reset will be tested. [Read more 🡒]