Tennessee basketball has been hot on the recruiting trail in recent weeks. After signing a fantastic 2025 class, the Vols have three verbal commitments within the 2026 cycle. UT is now also looking ahead to future classes. This past weekend, Tennessee hosted 2028 forward Joshua Huggins for an unofficial visit.
Huggins is an in-state prospect out of Madison, Tennessee. He will play for Briarcrest this season, the same school Kennedy Chandler played at early in his high school career. It has also produced some notable names on the Vols’ football team.
“My biggest takeaway was definitely how nice the campus is!,” Huggins wrote to RTI. “And how skilled the players were and how intense the scrimmage was (I) watched them play and how they compete!”
His trip to Knoxville gave him the chance to see legendary UT head coach Rick Barnes up close and in person. The initial impression was positive.
“My opening impression on Coach was definitely how he is always trying to coach them basketball the right way,” Huggins wrote. “And play the right way and making the hard things that the players may make hard, easy (easy buckets, easy backdoor cuts, etc.) Just a poised coach that knows what he is talking about!”
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So far, Huggins has reeled in four offers. This includes Memphis, Tennessee State, Alabama State and Jacksonville. He is also receiving interest from the likes of Ole Miss, where he will soon be visiting.
Huggins stands at 6-foot-6 with plenty of time to continue growing before he begins his college career. He is listed as a small forward at the moment, where he’s proven to be a strong rebounder, tough shot maker and great defender.
“As a player, I bring to the table a unselfish player, always trying to get my teammates involved, almost like being wired differently,” Huggins wrote. “Coach Barnes and I almost share the same mentality trying to make more difficult things easier. Thinking through the game. I am a force type of player that can score the ball whenever I would like to or at will, I am almost like the dirty player, the grit guy, the player that will risk his body to get on the floor (for) a loose ball, which also comes of many years of experience playing football!
“I’m not scared to get hit, I’m a physical player with soft touch, can shoot the 3 ball, get to the paint at will! I am a very consistent and effective player when I get on the court! The EYBL stats do not lie. Top 3 in efficiency, top 3 in scoring, top 3 in performance index rating. I am a consistent player that can do whatever the Coach will need me to do!”
Huggins has plenty of time to continue to reel in offers before ultimately making a decision. By the time his class is ranked on major recruiting services, it wouldn’t be surprising if he wound up near the top of the list for the state.
