Tennessee basketball is closing in on finalizing its roster for the 2025-26 season after signing a pair of shooting guards this week in Louisiana Tech transfer Amaree Abram and French prep prospect Clarence Mussamba.
With those two in the fold, Tennessee has now added eight newcomers to its roster ahead of next season. In the transfer portal the Vols have landed the shooting guard Abram, Maryland point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Vanderbilt power forward Jaylen Carey.
Rick Barnes and his staff have signed a five-player recruiting class that includes three-star point guard Troy Henderson, shooting guard Mussamba, four-star wing Amari Evans, five-star wing Nate Ament and four-star center DeWayne Brown. Evans and Brown signed with Tennessee in the fall while the three other have signed this spring.
Combine those eight newcomers with four returning players, combo guard Bishop Boswell, power forward Cade Phillips, center JP Estrella and center Felix Okpara, and the Vols’ have 12 scholarship players on their roster.
The current scholarship limit is 13 players. If the House Settlement passes then that could expand to 15 players but for the time being Tennessee has 13 scholarships to work with. With that in mind, Tennessee has one scholarship to work with ahead of the 2025-26 season. What could the Vols do with it?
Despite the addition of Abram and Massamba, the shooting guard position is still the biggest question on Tennessee’s roster at this time. The Vols could look to add another player at this spot for depth. Tennessee has kicked the tires with Kansas shooting guard Rakease Passmore and even had a visit scheduled before backing off due to his lack of shooting.
But Passmore hasn’t made any decisions despite visiting multiple ACC schools. Tennessee could circle back there and pursue the high level athlete.
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The Vols have also been linked to Lafayette shooting guard Alex Chaikin but there hasn’t much traction there in the last little bit.
Tennessee could also pursue Kennedy Okpara, the younger brother of senior center Felix Okpara. Kennedy is a high school senior who plays for the MoKan Elite EYBL team. The younger Okpara is a 6-foot-7 forward who is not an immediate impact player but does have a high ceiling and could be a developmental pice.
Walk-on Grant Hurst went through senior day festivities but has a year of eligibility remaining. A coach on the court, Tennessee could put Hurst on scholarship to encourage him to return for one more season. On a roster with so many newcomers, Hurst experience of Barnes’ system and his leadership could be worth a scholarship. However, that scenario feels more likely if they scholarship limit expands to 15.
Tennessee could carry a scholarship into the July recruiting period and potentially try and convince a prospect to move up a class and join the team at the start of the fall. The Vols have done that in the past but typically with players they view as projects.
Barnes and his staff have options. It’s unclear which way they will turn. But with one scholarship left, Tennessee has two point guards, two combo guards, one true shooting guard, two wings, two power forwards and three centers. There is solid balance on the roster.
