Tennessee basketball lands elite scorer Juke Harris in transfer portal

Juke Harris. Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Tennessee basketball lands elite scorer Juke Harris in transfer portal

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated May 4, 2026 8:04 PM ET

The Tennessee Volunteers have picked up one of the most coveted college basketball players in this offseason's transfer portal.

After making a run to the Elite 8 and ultimately losing to the eventual champion, the Michigan Wolverines, Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes has reloaded for 2026-27.

Tennessee has landed guard Juke Harris via the transfer portal. Harris spent the last two seasons with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

According to ESPN, he was the No. 6 player available in the transfer portal. 247Sports ranked him as the No. 8 player available and the No. 2 small forward.

"We are thrilled Juke made the decision to join our program at Tennessee," Barnes said in a press release. "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."

Juke Harris is going to Knoxville

Tennessee adds a scoring machine to the roster for 2026-27 pic.twitter.com/hkzt8FL0vU
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) May 4, 2026

Tennessee Volunteers land Juke Harris in transfer portal

Harris was a second-team All-ACC player for Wake Forest in 2025-26. He averaged 21.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.

He shot 44.4% from the field and 33.2% from three-point range.

Checking in at 6-foot-7, 200 pounds, Harris played 35.1 minutes per game for the Demon Deacons. He finished first in the ACC in total minutes played and was one of just four players in DI basketball to average at least 21 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

That put him alongside Cameron Boozer (Duke), A.J. Dybantsa (BYU), and JT Toppin (Texas Tech).

Simply put, he was one of the best players in college basketball last season, and now, Harris will be doing it for the Vols. He's the seventh player to commit to Tennessee via the portal this offseason.

This is a huge transfer portal win for Tennessee. Absolutely monumental.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

More must-reads: