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'Ecstatic' Rick Barnes announces Tennessee's signing of five-star Nate Ament

IMG_3593by: Grant Ramey04/22/25GrantRamey
Nate Ament, Instagram
(Nate Ament/Instagram)

Tennessee Basketball officially added Nate Ament to the program on Monday, with the 2025 five-star small forward signing with the Vols. Ament committed to Tennessee on Sunday over Duke, Louisville, Kentucky and Arkansas.

The 6-foot-9 Ament, 185-pound Ament is the No. 3 overall player in the country in the On3 ratings, making him the highest-ranked prospect to sign with Tennessee during the rankings era. 

“We are ecstatic to welcome Nate Ament and his fantastic family to Rocky Top,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said in a press release announcing the signing. “While everyone is aware of just how special a player Nate is, what really drew us to him throughout the recruiting process was the type of person he is.

“Nate is a high-character, family-oriented young man with a tremendous, caring support system around him who will mesh with our program from day one. He brings a dynamic skill set to the hardwood, embodying the attributes of a modern basketball player.”

Vols have added four prep prospects, two players from NCAA Transfer Portal

Ament is the No. 2 small forward in the class and the No. 1 overall player in the state of Virginia, out of Highland High School in Manassas. 

He’s the fourth signee in Tennessee’s 2025 recruiting class, alongside four-star guard Amari Evans, four-star center Dewayne Brown and three-star point guard Troy Henderson, another Virginia native. 

Barnes and his staff have also added two players out of the NCAA Transfer Portal in former Maryland point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie and former Vanderbilt power forward Jaylen Carey.

“(Ament stands) out with next-level positional size,” Barnes said. “He possesses the rare combination of the ability to dribble, pass and shoot with confidence and precision.”

Nate Ament is seventh five-star prospect for Rick Barnes at Tennessee

Scotty Hopson was the No. 5 overall prospect in the 2008 recruiting class and Tobias Harris was ranked No. 6 overall in the 2010. Allan Houston was also a prep All-American in the era before prospects were ranked. 

Ament is the seventh five-star prospect signed by Barnes during his time at Tennessee and his first since Julian Phillips in 2022. 

“Nate has a strong basketball IQ to go along with an excellent pairing of skill and toughness,” Barnes said. “He’s the kind of versatile talent who can impact the game in a variety of ways and, in our eyes, he was the No. 1 player in the class. We are thrilled to have him in orange.”

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