The Tennessee Volunteers were just eliminated in the NCAA Tournament. It would figure that they would take a few days to catch their breath before hitting the recruiting hard. However, Rick Barnes and the Volunteers were back to the grind on Monday afternoon as Belmont grad transfer Tyler Lundblade, per Joe Tipton of On3.
“Today, the ’Vols will host Belmont grad transfer Tyler Lundblade for an official visit beginning Monday afternoon and lasting through Wednesday, a source told On3,” Titpton said. “Tennessee is gaining momentum in this recruitment and is a team to watch.”
Lundblade will be on the Knoxville campus until Wednesday. He has one year of eligibility left.
SEC Team Hosting Sharpshooting Grad Transfer
Lundblade, in the transfer portal for the fourth time, has developed into one of the nation’s top high-volume 3-point shooters in his two seasons at Belmont. Lundblade is an elite sniper with deep range and a quick release who thrives on movement. He excels at reading screens, drifting into space, and punishing closeouts, despite attempting a few two-pointers. Additionally, he can play both two- and three-player games.
Lundblade showed growth in his second season at Belmont after leading the country in three-point percentage at 48.1% in 2024-25. The 6-6 wing averaged 15.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 34 minutes over 32 appearances. He also knocked down 3.6 threes with shooting splits of 43.0/40.6/93.4. Over 88% of his field goal attempts last season were beyond the arc.
Lundblade scored in double-figures in 29 of 32 contests with seven games of 20 or more points. The 24-year-old, who was named the MVC Player of the Year, also made two or more treys on 29 occassions with seven games of at least five triples. His best game came against Northern Iowa, posting a career-high with 31 points on 9 of 14 shooting from the field and 7 of 12 from deep.
Who Else Could Be Interested In Tyler Lundblade
Lundblade started his collegiate campaign as a walk-on at SMU. The Grapeland (TX) redshirted at SMU in 2021-22 and transferred to TCU for two seasons (2022-2024) before moving on to Belmont.
Lundblade officially entered the transfer portal on March 23, allowing Tennessee to host him before the NCAA’s dead period, which runs from April 2 to 9. The transfer portal opens on April 7.
Kansas State also figures to be in the mix for the sharpshooter as they hired Lundblade’s coach at Belmont, Casey Alexander, to replace Jerome Tang. Other teams that potentially could get into the mix: Creighton, Gonzaga, Marquette, Texas Tech, Michigan State, Virginia, Arkansas, and UConn.
How Would Lundblade Fit With Tennessee
Lundblade projects as a perfect fit with Tennessee. The Volunteers are expected to lose three starters, with Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Felix Okpara having exhausted eligibility. Star freshman Nate Ament is also expected to depart from the NBA. Gillespie and Ament were the Volunteers’ best 3-point shooters and shot-creators.
Barnes has brought the Volunteers into their “Golden Age” by focusing on defense and by having veterans who are highly skilled and make few mistakes. Specifically, Lundblade fits Barnes’ offensive system to a “T,” as it is built on stagger screens, floppy actions, wide pin‑downs, drive-and-kick sequences, and inside-out play. While Lundblade isn’t a shutdown defender, he fits Barnes’ schemes, as he has good size, is coachable, and has a high basketball IQ.
“With his top scorers expected to depart, expect Barnes to follow the same blueprint that has worked the past three seasons: identify a primary scorer to be the focal point of his offense,” ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf said about what the Volunteers will likely do in the transfer portal. “(J.P.) Estrella might be ready for a bigger role as a junior next season, but Barnes will likely find a true catalyst for his offense in the portal to extend the three-year trend of having a transfer who has averaged at least 18 points per game.
Barnes has already signed three players in his 2026 recruiting class. Four-star small forward Ralph Scott is the top recruit in the class. Three-star wing Manny Green and three-star point guard Marquis Clark are the other recruits to ink an LOI.
© MATT DAYHOFF, Peoria Journal Star via Imagn Images
