‘That one is personal for him’ – The latest update on Wake Forest transfer Juke Harris isn’t positive news for the Tennessee Vols
Wake Forest Demon Deacons transfer guard Juke Harris is one of the Tennessee Vols’ top remaining portal targets. Harris is believed to be down to Tennessee, Michigan, and North Carolina.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons transfer guard Juke Harris is one of the Tennessee Vols’ top remaining portal targets.
Harris, 6-foot-7/200 pounds from Salisbury, NC, averaged 21.4 points per game as a sophomore at Wake Forest this past season.
The Michigan Wolverines and the North Carolina Tar Heels are also in the mix for Harris. Additionally, the 2026 NBA Draft looms as a possibility for the Wake Forest transfer.
Earlier this week, there was a sense that Michigan was fading in the battle for Harris.
The Wolverines, however, appear to still be very much in the picture.
Vols insider shares the latest on Juke Harris
VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs joined 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon and Will on Friday and pointed out that Michigan shouldn’t be written off just yet in this battle.
Hubbs suggested that pursuing Harris is “personal” for Michigan head coach Dusty May.
“Juke Harris is a guy that is down to Tennessee, Michigan, and North Carolina,” said Hubbs. “I think the thought from some people that Michigan is out of the race or that they faded back is inaccurate. I think Dusty May, that one is personal for him — because he really wants [Harris]. I think he’s very hands on in trying to get Juke Harris to Ann Arbor.
“North Carolina is trying. My question with North Carolina is this: they’ve got a new coach who nobody really knows, right? He came out of the NBA ranks. What is he selling and how organized are they right now? The talk with North Carolina was they were behind in terms of some of their organization and some of their NIL stuff compared to where Duke is and some other [programs] that they’re chasing over there. So how much money do they have? How many spots do they have to fill? How do they allocate those types of things? It’s pretty interesting, but I certainly don’t rule out Michigan, which some people have.”
“What’s fascinating about Juke Harris is he could commit at any time,” added Hubbs. “He’s seen Tennessee a bunch. He doesn’t have to come over here for a visit. He’s been on the campus tour. He’s had the photo shoot. He’s done all of those things because Tennessee recruited him out of high school heavily. He’s got a relationship with Rick Barnes. He’s been in conversation with Barnes. Barnes has been in the home. They were in (visiting with Harris) last Sunday night.
“So I think that’s still a three team race right now. It feels like Michigan might be the biggest competition. But you never know, because somebody may come in and have big money and can be a game changer financially for him. So we’ll see what happens. And we’ll see, first of all, if he visits anywhere else before he makes a decision.”
Harris is one of the most coveted players still available in the portal. This won’t be an easy battle for the Vols to win. But it sounds like Tennessee is doing all it can to hold off Michigan and North Carolina.
The Wolverines are the national champs — they have a lot to sell. But Tennessee has a lengthy relationship with Harris, which could be the tiebreaker if Harris is struggling to make a decision.
For now, this one is a complete coin flip.