Tennessee lands a major transfer portal piece from an ACC program, and it might be just the first

Things are starting to heat up for Rick Barnes and the Tennessee Vols in the transfer portal. He landed the commitments of Cal guard Dai Dai Ames and Loyola (Chicago) center Miles Rubin over the weekend. But that was just the tip of the iceberg for the good news for Tennessee fans. Per On3 Sports’ […]

Craig Smith — College Football & NFL Trending News Writer
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Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes smiling as teams warmup before the start of the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight game between Tennessee and Houston at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., on Sunday, March 30, 2025. Brianna Paciorka / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Things are starting to heat up for Rick Barnes and the Tennessee Vols in the transfer portal.

He landed the commitments of Cal guard Dai Dai Ames and Loyola (Chicago) center Miles Rubin over the weekend. But that was just the tip of the iceberg for the good news for Tennessee fans.

Per On3 Sports’ Joe Tipton, Notre Dame star freshman guard Jalen Haralson has committed to the Vols.

Notre Dame forward Jalen Haralson commits to Tennessee

Haralson, who visited Tennessee on Tuesday, was a former McDonald’s All-American before committing to Notre Dame out of high school as a five-star recruit and ranked in the top 20 by ESPN and 247 Sports.

He checks in at 6-7, 220 pounds, and he uses that frame to put the ball in the basket. He averaged 16.2 points per game, posting a season-high 26 points in a loss to Syracuse last year. He averaged 51% from the field and 67.4% from the free throw line, but just 25% (5-25) from beyond the arc.

It goes without saying it’s a massive get for Rick Barnes. With J.P. Estrella, Cade Phillips, and Jaylen Carey all leaving in the transfer portal, Tennessee needed to find some size and points, and they got those in spades with Haralson.

More help on the way for the Vols from the ACC?

But Haralson might not be the only major get this week out of the transfer portal from an ACC team.

Wake Forest sensation Juke Harris is projected by multiple pundits to ultimately end up joining Haralson in Knoxville next year. Harris, who averaged 21 points per game last year for the Demon Deacons, has been getting a lot of attention directly from Barnes, and it appears to be paying off lately, as the Vols have momentum ahead of a final decision.

In any event, Tennessee’s roster just got a major boost with the former Notre Dame standout, and it’s likely not the last big move for Tennessee this cycle.

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