Tennessee basketball signee Nate Ament becomes a top player in On3's latest 2025 class rankings

The Tennessee Volunteers are looking to finally get over the hump in the 2025–2026 season by reaching their first Final Four in program history, after falling short in the Elite Eight for two consecutive years. Replacing the talent lost from last season—seniors Zakai Zeigler, Jahmai Mashack, Igor Milicic, Chaz Lanier, and Jordan Gainey—seemed nearly impossible.

However, Rick Barnes has assembled a powerful roster, possibly even stronger than last season’s. He began by adding homegrown talent Ja’Kobi Gillespie. Gillespie played a key role in recruiting, helping Tennessee land several players, including one of the top incoming freshmen: Nate Ament.

Ament was widely expected to commit to Duke throughout most of the recruiting process, but Tennessee surged ahead just a week before the 6-foot-9 forward announced his decision. For Ament, NBA superstar Kevin Durant—his player comparison—played a significant role in the recruitment process.

“Coach Barnes sees me as a one-and-done type player,” Ament said. “He has done it before with Kevin Durant. He sees me as that kind of guy for his program. I built a great relationship with the coaching staff. I trust them a lot, and they have big goals for me.”

The Tennessee signee has already given Vols fans a reason to be excited by making a bold promise: a national championship.

“I feel like we’ll be a national championship team,” Ament stated. “We’re going to go on that kind of run.”

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On Monday, Ament received a major boost in the On3 rankings.

“Ament, who On3 previously ranked as the No. 4 player in the country, climbed to the No. 2 spot in the rankings behind only BYU wing AJ Dybantsa,” Ryan Schumpert wrote.

Landing Ament is a massive win for Barnes and the program, and there’s a chance he won’t be the last five-star to join the Vols in this recruiting cycle.