Tennessee basketball has officially signed the top-ranked transfer in the portal this cycle, Wake Forest guard Juke Harris. Topping On3’s rankings, Harris is expected to be one of the best players in the country next season as a proven scorer in the ACC with the Demon Deacons.
Harris picked the Vols over a number of options. This included remaining in the NBA draft, North Carolina and Michigan. Instead, he’s headed to Knoxville to join Rick Barnes’ pursuit of a Final Four and national title.
Harris is coming off a sophomore season in which he averaged 21.4 points on 44.4% shooting from the field and 33.3% shooting from three-point range. The Salisbury, North Carolina native made 87 three-pointers during the 2025-26 season.
The 6-foot-7, 200-pound guard scored 20-plus points in 20 games last season and scored 30-plus points against NC State, Boston College and Cal. Harris also added 6.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He ranked in the top 400 nationally with a 17.6% defensive rebound rate and a 10% turnover rate.
“We are thrilled Juke made the decision to join our program at Tennessee,” Barnes said in a statement. “Juke is not only an explosive talent, but also a humble young man from a great family. One of the premier scorers nationally, he possesses the ability to put the ball in the basket in numerous ways, from all over the floor.
“Juke can take over a game and impose his will at any time. He is a versatile player who can handle the ball in transition and has the length to make an impact defensively. As someone we were familiar with from his high school recruitment, Juke was a primary target for us as soon as the portal opened and he fits well with the roster we have assembled.”
More From RTI: Where New Tennessee Basketball Commit Juke Harris Ranks In Various Portal Rankings
Harris strong performances were enough for him to win ACC Breakout Player of the Year honors and Second Team All-ACC honors.
On top of his spot at the No. 1 transfer on On3, he’s also looked at highly by other rankings. On 247, he’s at No. 8, ESPN has him at No. 6 and The Athletic slots him at No. 2.
Harris is the seventh player to commit to Tennessee basketball out of the transfer portal, joining Belmont sharpshooter Tyler Lundblade, Cal combo guard Dai Dai Ames, Loyola (Chicago) center Miles Rubin, VCU combo guard Terrence Hill Jr, Notre Dame wing Jalen Haralson and Kennesaw State forward Braedan Lue.
