There's no question that with the season over Tennesse has some gaps to fill in the transfer portal this offseason. The biggest role is finding a scorer who can replace point guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie. Nate AMent could come back if he gets a nice NIL check and doesn't like the feedback he's getting from NBVA scoputs, but that seems unlikely, but not totally out of the question.
Rick Barnes has an obvious replacement for Justin Gainey with a Tennessee connection
A new option may have emerged for Tennessee via the Transfer Portal. Georgia guard Jeremiah Wilkinson is planning on entering the portal. The former Cal transfer was one of the best scorers in the SEC, averaging 17.4 points a night. This would be a huge pickup for Rick Barnes if he is able to pull this one off.
NEW: Georgia guard Jeremiah Wilkinson plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, @JoeTipton reports.
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) March 30, 2026
Wilkerson 17.4 points per game this season. https://t.co/SsCzOKKWM5 pic.twitter.com/ynP1dmo9bp
Jeremiah Wilkinson would check almost every box
One of the only downsides about Wiolkinson is that he is not a true point guard, which is something that Tenensse really needs. However, he is a guard who can handle the ball and make plays off the dribble, and be a shooter that Tennessee also needs. Not to mention, he was one of the most prolific overall scorers in the SEC last season. In the only NCAA Tournament game Georgia played, he dropped 30 points on 42% from the field. As a freshman at Cal, he won the ACC Sixth Man of the Year Award, showing that he can make an impact off the bench as well.
Another positive is that Wilkinson has shown he's a high-level player in the conference that the Vols will compete in. Oftentimes, some of these mid-major standouts make the jump to the Power Five and look lost. With Wilkenson, he knows what the SEC is all about and what it takes to compete. He can also play defense at a high level despite being a bit undersized at 6-foot-1. He averaged 1.6 steals a game last year for the Bulldogs.
The bottom line is that if Rick Barnes can manage to land Wilkinson, it would be a big boost for the 2026-27 season. The Vols would have their No. 1 scorer locked down and have a secondary ball handler to make plays with.