About 10 days ago, the story was that Tennessee basketball was targeting five-star wing Julian Phillips for 2022 but hoped if that didn’t work out they could settle on elite wing D.J. Jefferson. Well, why not both? Rick Barnes pulled off just that.
Eight days after Phillips committed to Rocky Top, Jefferson, a four-star across the board out of Minnesota Preparatory Academy in Saint Paul, Minn., committed to UT. He joins Phillips and four-star guard B.J. Edwards as members of the Vols’ 2022 class.
Listed as a small forward on 247Sports and On3 but a shooting guard on Rivals and ESPN, Jefferson stands at 6’5″ and weighs in the range of 185 to 190 pounds. He committed to Tennessee basketball Friday afternoon.
WHAT’S THE WORD ROCKY TOP 🍊🍊 pic.twitter.com/xbEStCG5ee
— DJ Jefferson (@4buck3t_) May 20, 2022
With the addition of the Ramsey County kid, the Vols have almost filled out their roster. Assuming Josiah-Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi come back after testing the NBA Draft waters, they have two scholarships to give. That’ll be one if power forward Tobe Awaka, who committed earlier this week, reclassifies for 2022.
Make no mistake, this is a huge deal for the Vols. With Kennedy Chandler going pro, John Fulkerson graduating and Victor Bailey Jr., Justin Powell and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield all entering the transfer portal, it seemed as if next year would be a rebuilding season for Barnes.
However, he keeps the ship going with Jefferson, who adds even more depth to a loaded roster. Indiana State Sycamores transfer guard Tyreke Key helps with that, and Iowa State Cyclones transfer guard Tyrese Hunter could still be eyeing Rocky Top.
Jefferson, originally from Richardson, Texas, had committed to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane initially back in April but decommitted less than 10 days later. He attended Berkner High School when he was in Dallas County before headed up north. Here is a look at his highlight reel.
As you can see, Jefferson is an athletic wing who could play the two or three, finish at the rim or dominate with his outside shot. That’s a huge deal for the Vols, as he and Hunter could make for an elite shooting duo along with Vescovi if he comes back.
Now, even if Vescovi and James do head to the NBA, which almost certainly won’t happen, Tennessee basketball is set in its backcourt. Barnes also has enough versatility to move James or Phillips down low to the four if he wants to. Key for him at this point is adding one more true center for depth.