Tennessee guard DJ Jefferson enters the transfer portal
Tennessee guard DJ Jefferson has entered his name into the transfer portal.
Jefferson spent the past two seasons in Knoxville after redshirting in his first year on Rocky Top. He only appeared in one game with the team this year, which was their season-opener against Tennessee Tech.
Jefferson played in three minutes during that 80-42 victory over the Golden Eagles back in the first game of the Vols’ year. He scored three points on his one and only shot of the season while also finishing with two rebounds, a turnover, and a foul.
He did appear some during the exhibition season, though, as he played in Tennessee’s preseason trip to Italy back in August.
Jefferson played high school basketball at Minnesota Preparatory Academy. He was a four-star prospect there and was the No. 89 overall recruit in the 2022 cycle. That’s according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He rated as the No. 25 SF in the class and the top player out of the state.
Jefferson arrived as part of the No. 6 class in the nation per On3’s 2022 Basketball Team Recruiting Rankings. He came in alongside one five-star in Julian Phillips. He was then one of the groups’s four four-stars with Tobe Awaka, Freddie Dilione, and BJ Edwards.
Jefferson is now the second portal loss for the Volunteers in this cycle. He joins Dilione as transfers from Tennessee so far this offseason. For reference, that makes Awaka the only remaining member of that class for Tennessee. Phillips was a second-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft while Edwards transferred to SMU last offseason.
To this point, Tennessee has yet to make any transfer additions for next seasons. It was an area that they succeeded in a year ago with the pickups of Dalton Knecht and Jordan Gainey. Still, the Volunteers have roster spots to fill now with two transfers leaving and four seniors, three of being contributors in Knecht along with Santiago Vescovi and Josiah-Jordan James, leaving the team.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.