Tennessee redshirt-freshman wing D.J. Jefferson intends to enter the transfer portal, sources confirmed to GoVols247 on Monday afternoon.
The 6-foot-5, 209-pound wing is the second Vol to transfer since the Vols' season ended. Fellow redshirt-freshman Freddie Dilione confirmed to GoVols247 last Thursday that he intends to transfer as well after playing in only 18 games this season.
Jefferson missed the first week or so of preseason practice this season due to disciplinary reasons. He went on to play in one game, which is the only career appearance that he made in two seasons at Tennessee, when he played three minutes against Tennessee Tech in UT's season opener. Jefferson knocked down his only three-point attempt in the win and grabbed two rebounds.
"He did the things we asked him to do," Rick Barnes told the media on Oct. 12 after Tennessee's Markey Square Madness. "He missed about a week there and has worked his way back and we expect him to do the right thing and continue to grow and build on where he is right now."
Barnes said during Tennessee's media day on Oct. 3 that Jefferson had missed the last couple practices because he hadn't "lived up to what we want him to do and all the facets of the program."
Jefferson redshirted during the 2022-23 season after committing to Tennessee late in the 2022 recruiting cycle. He arrived a month later after previously being committed to Tulsa and head coach Frank Haith, before reopening his recruitment after Haith resigned that March.
"There would be games where a lot of players would get hurt or I would see Coach Barnes look on the bench just trying to find someone that can help us win games," Jefferson told the media last offseason. "I felt kind of bad because of what I'm capable of doing and just being at this college and being at this level, I think I can do a lot of things to help my team win. So just knowing that I was a redshirt and not getting an opportunity to show the people what I was capable of, I felt some type of way."
Barnes called the difference in Jefferson following his redshirt season "night and day."
"He has always been a guy that has wanted to work hard to try and figure it out," Barnes said last summer. "I give a great deal of credit to he and his family. They knew where he was and where they want to see him. For prospects today to want to redshirt, it is pretty much unheard of in some situations. The fact that he didn't want to waste a year of eligibility and to get ready. He really started figuring it out toward the end of last year and had a really good spring. He's getting better every day now. We are excited about him. We just know he hasn't even scratched the surface to what he can be."
Tennessee's season came to an end on the final day in March when it lost to No. 1-seed Purdue, 72-66, in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. UT won its 11th SEC Championship and advanced to the Elite Eight for just the second time.
The Vols will feature a new look next season during Barnes' 10th on Rocky Top. Breakout star Dalton Knecht is off to the NBA after winning SEC Player of the Year in his only season at Tennessee, while guards Santiago Vescovi and Josiah-Jordan James have run out of eligibility following decorated five-year careers.
Guards Zakai Zeigler, Jahmai Mashack, Jordan Gainey and Cameron Carr are currently expected to return next season, in addition to forwards Jonas Aidoo, Tobe Awaka and JP Estrella, respectively.