Jalen Washington is a crucial late portal addition for Tennessee basketball. Here’s why
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Tennessee basketball is once again thriving in the chaos that is college sports.
Former Vanderbilt and North Carolina forward/center Jalen Washington officially signed with Tennessee on Wednesday evening. He’s the 9th and very likely final transfer addition of the Vols’ 2026 offseason.
Washington finished his 4th college hoops season in March and entered the transfer portal in April, leaning on the possibility that he could earn a 5th season of eligibility. The break Washington was looking for came last Friday when a Davidson County (TN) judge granted him a temporary restraining order against the NCAA alongside 18 other players, making them all eligible for the 2026 season.
Several hours after Washington’s ruling in Tennessee, Colorado Judge Charlotte Sweeney took the implications a step further. She ruled that the injunction for her eligibility case should cover all athletes from the Class of 2022 in search of a 5th season.
Crucially, Sweeney’s ruling does not override transfer rules or create a new transfer window, meaning players who fit the age criteria and are looking for a 5th year citing her court order have to have entered the portal in April to be eligible for 2026-27. Because Washington’s eligibility is protected by a different court order (from Davidson County) and he initially entered the portal during the spring window, his and Tennessee’s bases appear to be covered in the event of inevitable NCAA pushback.
As you read, it’s important to keep that context in mind.
What’s important for Vols fans to know is this: Tennessee is a better basketball team with Jalen Washington on the roster.
Okay… how much better?
Jalen Washington offers 2 things that Tennessee didn’t have much of a few weeks ago: size and SEC experience around the basket.
Loyola Chicago transfer Miles Rubin was probably Tennessee’s most qualified center option before Washington’s signing. Weighing in at 6-foot-10, 220 pounds, Rubin is an impressive athlete who averaged 11.6 points per game — unafraid to put the ball on the deck. His defensive numbers from last season were similarly promising: Rubin posted a 9.4% block rate, which ranked 20th nationally, and averaged 2.3 blocks per game.
I’m curious to see how Rubin’s defense translates to the SEC.
Christian Fermin, also from the A10, is similarly undersized for SEC center at 6-foot-10, 225 pounds. He didn’t play most of last season due to a personal matter and had to miss the end of the Vols’ summer practice with a fractured left hand.
DeWayne Brown is receiving some massive buzz out of Tennessee practice and will be counted on as a leader, but he’s a natural power forward and, barring an unexpected jump, shouldn’t be relied on as an elite defender at the rim for an extended period of time. Kennesaw State transfer Braedan Lue performed like an elite defender with impressive length in Conference USA, but is also considered to be more of a 4 with considerably less proven offensive consistency than Fermin, Rubin and Brown.
It goes without saying that the SEC is a considerable step up in physicality compared to the A10 and CUSA, which is where Washington’s addition eases the pressure being heaped on Rubin.
The former Commodore stands at 6-foot-10, 245 pounds and started 9 games for Vanderbilt, mostly utilized as the Mark Byington’s first man off the bench. Before arriving at Vanderbilt, Washington appeared in 93 games for North Carolina, which means he boasts 126 games of power conference experience heading into Knoxville.
He’s also beaten Tennessee at its own game a few times now. Washington and Vanderbilt won 2 of 3 games over the Volunteers last season. Washington posted the following stat lines:
- 8 points, 10 rebounds, 6 blocks, 1 steal — Tennessee 69, Vanderbilt 65
- 7 points, 8 rebounds, 1 block — Vanderbilt 86, Tennessee 82
- 7 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks, 1 steal — Vanderbilt 75, Tennessee 68
As Rick Barnes said on Wednesday, Washington makes “winning plays.” A few good examples of these winning plays can be found buried in the stat line in bold, Vanderbilt’s win over Tennessee in the SEC Tournament.
Washington did a nice job of setting the tone with 2 early blocks in this one. He also had a crucial block with 12 minutes remaining, sending an Amari Evans drive off the backboard, leading to a go-ahead transition bucket. Vanderbilt never gave back the lead. Washington scored all 7 of his points and corralled 4 rebounds following that block, helping guide the Commodores to a 7-point win.
That size and experience down low immediately raises Tennessee’s floor, especially when you consider what Washington does well.
Use Kalshi promo code SDS when you register for an account by clicking here and you’ll receive a bonus of up to $500. Check out the market for the 2027 men’s college national champion below:
What does Jalen Washington do well?
Jalen Washington is versatile enough to guard the opposing team’s best offensive big and is particularly adept near the basket on both ends of the court.
Let’s start on the defensive end.
Washington averaged 1.3 blocks per game (and just under 2 stocks per game) while boasting a 6.8% block rate per KenPom — the No. 87 mark in the country — across 20.6 minutes per game. Compare this with outgoing Vols center Felix Okpara, who averaged 1.5 blocks per game with a 7% block percentage across 26.9 minutes per game.
Washington isn’t as long as Okpara but is comparably athletic. Time will tell if he’s ready to guard the perimeter at the level Tennessee wants him to, as he’s probably more comfortable guarding 4s and 5s away from the basket. For what it’s worth, Washington performed well in rare switches against Nate Ament during that SEC Tournament game mentioned above. Between Washington and Rubin, I’m confident one can meet the challenge given Barnes’ success developing centers.
Offensively, Washington could really shine as a pick-and-roll big, magnified by the strong shooters Tennessee added out of the portal such as Tyler Lundblade and Terrence Hill. He’s also a capable lob threat and a reliable post-up option. Washington finished last season 76% around the cup and just under 53% inside the paint. And 145 of his 199 field goal attempts in 2026 came from within the paint.
Based on how Tennessee has used big men like Washington before, and because he’s stronger the nearer he is to the rim, I’d be surprised to see the newest Vol attempt to stretch the floor more than some midrange pullups, which he was unafraid to do at Vanderbilt. If you’re wondering, Washington shot 40% outside the paint and 29.4% from beyond the 3-point arc on 34 attempts.
I think Washington fits best in a lineup with Terrence Hill, Tyler Lundblade, Juke Harris and DeWayne Brown, and I’m especially interested to see how he plays alongside Brown as there’s a nice mix of efficiency and rim protection.
Final thoughts
I’ve intentionally held my tongue on this Volunteers team. While the additions of Juke Harris, Terrence Hill and other offensive weapons were certainly exciting, I was less enthusiastic about Tennessee’s defensive outlook and downright concerned about the center position heading into such an anticipated season, following 3 straight trips to the Elite 8, mind you.
Washington’s addition suppresses some of those concerns. I believe Tennessee can get comparable rim protection, and Washington’s fit with Rubin and Brown opens the path for multiple different ways to score in the Vols’ frontcourt. As I first mentioned a few months ago, Tennessee’s offense is more wired to attack than any unit under Barnes since his arrival in Knoxville.
Consider me intrigued, Vols.
Like our coverage? Make SDS a preferred source in your searches!
Ethan Stone is a Saturday Down South News Editor and an advocate for the return of the Seattle Supersonics.
