Although he’s not known for being a legend on the recruiting trail, Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes has landed some quality players in the past few years. The Vols, who weren’t consistently landing 5-star talent in the past, have landed players such as Keon Johnson, Kennedy Chandler, and Josiah-Jordan James to help turn the program into regular national contenders.
In the past week, Coach Barnes and Tennessee opted to add a historic pickup to the team. They landed Nate Ament, a 6’9 forward prospect out of Virginia. He’s a McDonald’s All-American high school player with an elite offensive game. Ament can score inside and out, including being a quality shooter from beyond the arc. If things go well, the measurements and physical tools make him a legit one-and-done NBA Draft prospect a year from now.
Per 247sportsComposite, Ament is ranked No. 4 overall in the 2025 basketball recruiting class. That would make him the highest-ever ranked commit for Tennessee Basketball, beating out Chandler from a couple of years ago. His commitment gives the Vols a top-12 class, joining four-star commits, guard Amari Evans, and center DeWayne Brown.
From a roster standpoint, Ament will replace Igor Milicic, who started for the Vols at the four-spot and produced 9.4 ppg and 6.7 rpg. Ament has the chance to be an offensive upgrade, something the team will need, considering that the top four scorers overall are gone, including All-SEC guard Chaz Lanier.
Ament will be part of a new-look frontcourt that includes Vanderbilt forward transfer Jaylen Carey and returning starting center Felix Okpara. Maryland transfer Ja’Kobi Gillespie is the new face of the backcourt, but with so much production gone, there’s a chance that the Vols could take a step back next season.
However, if Ament has a great freshman year, then it’ll be the same as usual for the team.