Transfer Portal Activity Heats Up for teh Vols

The Tennessee Volunteers are actively navigating the transfer portal to bolster their roster for the upcoming season. Amaree Abram, a guard who most recently played for Louisiana Tech, is scheduled to visit the Knoxville campus on Monday. This visit signals coach Rick Barnes’ intent to add depth and experience to the team.

Abram’s statistics from last season at Louisiana Tech highlight his potential impact:

• Averaged 12.3 points per game
• Grabbed 4.4 rebounds per game
• Dished out 1.7 assists per game
• Shot 42.2% from the field
• Connected on 37.3% of his 3-point attempts
• Started all 32 games, averaging 32.1 minutes per contest

Prior to his time at Louisiana Tech, Abram’s collegiate journey included stints at Ole Miss and Georgia Tech. He started 22 of 33 games for Ole Miss in the 2022-23 season, contributing 8.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. His time at Georgia Tech in 2023-24 was shorter, with only 10 games played, where he averaged 3.4 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.1 assists.

New additions via the Transfer Portal

Tennessee has already secured commitments from two notable transfers:

• Ja’Kobi Gillespie: A point guard from Maryland.
• Jaylen Carey: A power forward from Vanderbilt.

Gillespie’s impressive stats from Maryland showcase his scoring and playmaking abilities. He started all 36 games, averaging 14.7 points and 4.8 assists in 31.6 minutes per game. his shooting percentages were also noteworthy, hitting 45.3% from the floor and 40.7% from beyond the arc, making 87 of 214 attempts.

Before transferring to Maryland, Gillespie made a name for himself at Belmont. He’s a Greeneville, Tenn. native, who started his college basketball career at Belmont, averaging 17.2 points,4.2 assists and 2.2 steals in 31.4 minutes per game as a sophomore at Belmont in 2023-24.

Carey, a 6-foot-8 sophomore, brings size and rebounding to the Vols’ frontcourt. Carey, the 6-foot-8, 245-pound sophomore, averaged 8.0 points and 5.7 rebounds in 20.2 minutes per game at Vanderbilt this season.

Impressive 2025 Recruiting Class

Tennessee’s future looks bright with a strong 2025 recruiting class, featuring four promising prospects:

• Nate Ament: A five-star prospect, considered a consensus top-five player in the class.
• Amari Evans: A four-star guard.
• Dewayne Brown: A four-star center.
• Troy Henderson: A three-star point guard.

ament’s commitment is a significant win for the Vols. The 6-foot-9, 185-pound Ament committed to Tennessee last Sunday and signed with the Vols on Monday, after picking the Vols over Duke, Kentucky, Louisville and Arkansas. He is highly regarded in the recruiting landscape. He’s the No. 3 overall player in the On3 ratings and is the highest-ranked prospect to sign with Tennessee during the recruiting rankings era.

Evans, a 6-foot-5 prospect from Pittsburgh, is also a valuable addition. Evans, the 6-foot-5, 204-pound prospect out of Pittsburgh, is ranked No. 68 nationally, No. 20 at shooting guard and No. 7 in the state of Georgia, where he played in the Overtime Elite League in Atlanta.

Brown, a 6-foot-9 center from Alabama, brings size and strength to the frontcourt. The 6-foot-9, 235-pound Brown, out of Hoover, Ala., is ranked No. 100 overall. He’s the No. 10 center in the class and the No. 1 prospect in the state of Alabama.

Henderson, a point guard from Virginia, rounds out the class.Henderson, who committed to Tennessee in March and signed last week, is ranked No. 248 overall. He’s the No. 34 point guard in the class and the No. 13 player in the state of Virginia.

Roster Spots to Fill for 2025-26 Season

With several players departing, Tennessee has multiple roster spots to fill for the 2025-26 season. The vols return just four scholarship players:

• Felix Okpara
• Cade Phillips
• JP Estrella
• Bishop Boswell

The team lost six seniors: Zakai Zeigler, Jordan Gainey, Chaz Lanier, Jahmai Mashack, Igor Milicic Jr., and Darlinstone Dubar.

Gillespie’s Transfer Portal Ranking

Ja’Kobi Gillespie is highly regarded in the transfer portal landscape. he is ranked No. 10 in On3’s Transfer Portal Rankings, highlighting the impact he is expected to make for the Volunteers.