Kevin Durant-type player becomes newest rising superstar to commit to Tennessee

Tennessee basketball adds one of the best players in the 2025 recruiting class to its signing sheet as five-star forward Nate Ament has officially committed to Tennessee. 

As reported by On3 Sports, the Vols beat out Arkansas, Duke, Kentucky, and Louisville for the commitment of the No. 3 recruit in the class. 

Ament is a superstar in the making, and he has become the newest "next big thing" to commit to Tennessee. He saw Rick Barnes develop Kennedy Chandler, Dalton Knecht, and Chaz Lanier in one year and called next. 

That's exactly where Ament sees himself, and according to him, Barnes believes he has the talent and skill to be another one-and-done player like Kevin Durant, whom Barnes coached at Texas. 

"Coach Barnes sees me as a one-and-done type player," Ament said. "He has done it before with Kevin Durant. He sees me as that kind of guy for his program. I built a great relationship with the coaching staff. I trust them a lot, and they have big goals for me. I think they'll do a great job of developing me as a player and a young man. I trust the coaches to help me get to the next level."

Ament is already projected to be a top-five pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and will be an immediate impact player for the Vols when they first take the court this fall. 

The 6-foot-10 wing from Manassas, Virginia, could be a perfect fit for Barnes' team and will undoubtedly have a spot in Tennessee's 2025-26 lineup, as the Vols could plan to go with a bigger lineup than we have seen in years past with possibly three forwards on the floor at the same time. 

Ament is more than your traditional forward, though. His athleticism allows him to play like a big but move and shoot like a guard. His size and skill allow him to play like a Durant-type player, but we will see if he can develop into a playmaker similar to Durant during his time on Rocky Top.