Tennessee basketball on verge of landing $3M top transfer scorer over North Carolina, Michigan

Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball and head coach Rick Barnes are on an absolute heater right now when it comes to bringing in talent for next season. With increased NIL resources at his disposal, Barnes has taken full advantage, landing some of the biggest names in the transfer portal.

“Tennessee basketball is on track to be among the elite in NIL spending next season. On3’s Pete Nakos on Thursday reported the Vols are one of a handful of teams set to spend $10 million or more in NIL for its roster next season,” VolQuest’s Grant Ramey wrote.

The Vols’ most recent portal addition is former Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball freshman Jalen Haralson, a former McDonald’s All-American.

“Tennessee basketball has landed a commitment from Notre Dame transfer forward Jalen Haralson, a source with direct knowledge of the situation told Volquest. The 6-foot-7, 220-pound freshman averaged 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 27 games for the Fighting Irish this season,” Ramey wrote. “Haralson visited Tennessee on Tuesday and announced his commitment Wednesday following the end of his visit.”

Tennessee is still waiting on a decision from another major target in Juke Harris, and there is growing belief that he could end up in Knoxville.

“It's safe to say Harris is now on commit watch. With Harris in particular, it's going to be a program-changing pledge if Barnes does come out on top. He's widely considered one of the top shooters in the portal. He once appeared to be Michigan-bound, and then North Carolina fans thought they were in the driver's seat for him. With Harris being from NC, the thought of him playing close to home seemed like it was going to send things over the top for the Heels. Instead, the Vols never stopped pushing for him, with a recent in-home visit clearly making a big impact on him too,” All For Tennessee’s Braulio Perez wrote.

Harris is one of the most sought-after players in the portal, and Tennessee appears to be leading the race. If Barnes can add him to an already impressive class, the outlook on Rocky Top will be even brighter.

According to 247Sports, Harris is the No. 7 overall player and the No. 1 small forward in the portal. There is no doubt he would elevate Tennessee’s roster. If the Vols can add Harris and another big man, this team could quickly become one of the most dangerous in college basketball.