Tennessee is officially in offseason mode, contacting targets, getting players on campus, and hopping on Zoom calls with recruits. There’s a lot of work to be done, and Rick Barnes has been grinding on the recruiting trail to piece together the 2026–27 roster.
Predicting 2 Tennessee basketball Transfer Portal commitments this week
As we turn the page, the Vols have another target unfolding this offseason. According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Tennessee is in the mix for Troy forward Thomas Dowd. The 6-foot-8 power forward had a strong season, putting up 14.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 44.1% from the field. He was a major piece of the puzzle in Troy getting a No. 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
NEW: Multiple programs are making a push for Troy transfer forward Thomas Dowd đź‘€
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) April 10, 2026
On3’s @PeteNakos has the latest as one team is currently the team to watch…
View: https://t.co/1qbGJTiF6P pic.twitter.com/XxcaLXMxut
Thomas Dowd is a perfect fit for Tennessee
What stands out the most is that Dowd is a scheme fit for Tennessee, and he's a frontcourt player, something the Vols desperately need. Dowd is an elite rebounder, grabbing over 10 a game last year, and plays very good defense, averaging 1.3 blocks a game. This is the exact archetype that Barnes likes to recruit at the four spot, as the Vols thrive on great rebounding and defense. To build on that, Dowd has the ability to stretch the floor and be a scorer. It's not his strength, but he's far from a liability on offense. 247Sports has Dowd ranked as the No. 69 player in the portal and the No. 17 power forward.
To sum it all up, Dowd would be a very good addition for Tennesse. He plays basketball the way Barnes likes to play, and he is a winning player. Pair him with a few scores when the Vols are in business.
Tennessee is right in the mix, which is encouraging, but going up against other talented programs is never easy. Texas Tech has been a very big spender in both football and basketball, and Auburn is Dowd's home state school. Plus, as much as we hate to say it, Vandy has built a good program under Mark Byington. Tennessee has to beat some big-time programs, which can always be tough, especially in the NIL era.