​Chris Washington Jr. spent seven months and one decommitment trying to figure out where he wanted to play college basketball. After coach Rick Barnes brought him to Tennessee, the decision didn’t take long. The 6-foot-9 forward committed to Alabama on Sept. 8, reopened his recruitment on Nov. 17, and did not land at Tennessee until April 16, choosing the Vols over Auburn, Ole Miss, Southern California and Villanova. A planned Jan. 31 official visit to Knoxville for the Auburn game was canceled by bad weather, and when he finally reached campus in April, he committed two days after his visit.
“I honestly feel that, for me and my family, that was the best decision,” Washington said on July 7 about his decommitment from Alabama. “And I’ve found my right school, I feel like.”
Washington was the No. 1 overall in-state recruit for the 2026 signing class and the No. 52 national recruit in the 247Sports Composite. He earned that ranking while starring at Providence Christian Academy in Murfreesboro, where he played the last two years after beginning his high school career in Florida. Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes lauded him as “one of the finest in the country at the prep level” when the signing became official. The commitment made him the highest-rated player in Tennessee’s 2026 high school class, joined by four-star wings Ralph Scott and Manny Green, along with three-star guard Marquis Clark.
Washington’s ties to Knoxville run deeper than the recruitment. He spent his club seasons with B. Maze Elite, a Knoxville-based AAU program run by former Tennessee guard Bobby Maze, training in the city and competing against peers who would soon become his college teammates long before UT became home. He said that time in the city influenced his final choice.
“I’ve played those guys on the circuit, so for us to all be on the same team, it’s a good thing,” Washington said.
During his high school career, Washington secured back-to-back TSSAA Division II-A state titles and back-to-back state tournament MVP awards at PCA, finishing his senior year with a 13-point, 15-rebound double-double in a 60-48 victory over Battle Ground Academy. He averaged 18.8 points and 9.4 rebounds as a senior. Over four varsity seasons, he surpassed 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
“He is particularly impactful in transition and leaping off one foot,” Barnes said in an April 16 school release. “He can also stretch the floor and knock down 3-point shots, as well as grab offensive rebounds. On the defensive end, Chris has all the tools to become elite and is someone who can guard four positions.”
Washington said the country already recognizes his scoring ability, so this summer he’s focused on unlocking the other side of his game. “My defense,” he said. “It’s about working on my rotations, being in the right gaps.”
Currently ranked the No. 19 small forward in the 247Sports Composite, Washington has been practicing at the power forward position. Redshirt senior forward Christian Fermin, who will share the frontcourt with Washington this season, is already contributing to the team’s depth and dynamic.