Vols Add Fourth-Ranked 2025 Prospect Nate Ament, the Third Top-Five Signee in Program History

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – University of Tennessee head men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes announced Monday the signing of Nate Ament.

A five-star small forward out of Manassas, Va., Ament is ranked in the top four of the 2025 class by all major outlets. He is the third top-five prep recruit ever to sign with Tennessee, joining Tobias Harris (2010) and Allan Houston (1989).

“We are ecstatic to welcome Nate Ament and his fantastic family to Rocky Top,” Barnes said. “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.

“Standing out with next-level positional size, he possesses the rare combination of the ability to dribble, pass and shoot with confidence and precision,” Barnes continued. “Nate has a strong basketball IQ to go along with an excellent pairing of skill and toughness. 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.

On3 tabs Ament as the third-best player in the country, with a 99 grade. Meanwhile, 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals all slot the 6-foot-9, 185-pounder fourth nationally with 247Sports also giving him a 99 grade. One of just nine players with a five-star nod from all four outlets, Ament is unanimously considered the top player in Virginia in his class.

The 13th McDonald’s All-American in program history, including the fifth in the last seven classes signed by Barnes, Ament totaled 12 points, three rebounds, one steal, one assist and a 2-of-2 3-point clip in the game. He will be the 21st McDonald’s All-American to play for Barnes in his head coaching career, including the 20th high school signee.

The 2024-25 Gatorade Virginia Player of the Year, Ament became the first individual from a school other than Oak Hill Academy or Paul VI to win the elite distinction since Thon Maker in 2013-14. He averaged 19.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game during his final prep campaign.

Ament is coming off a senior season in which he led Highland School to a 42-8 record and a Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) Division I state title. The VISAA Division I Player of the Year led all competitors with 24 points and 18 rebounds in the 56-51 overtime triumph over Bishop O’Connell to win the crown and had the game-winning basket. He also garnered Metro Private School Conference (MPSC) Player of the Year plaudits for the second season in a row.

In Highland’s second straight MPSC title game victory, Ament had game highs with 32 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks in a 62-50 win over top-seeded Clinton Grace Christian. In a January triumph over then-top-ranked Prolific Prep (Ca.) at the prestigious Hoophall Classic, he had 22 points, 11 rebounds and four assists for Highland in Springfield, Mass. He also guided Highland to an Elite Prep League (EPL) regular season crown.

A Preseason MaxPreps Second Team All-American entering his final prep campaign, Ament exceeded those lofty expectations by finishing as a MaxPreps First Team All-American and a Naismith First Team All-American. He was also the MaxPreps Virginia Player of the Year and led Highland to a No. 14 finish in the MaxPreps national rankings.

As a junior, Ament helped Highland reach the VISAA Division II state final and he earned VISAA Division II Co-Player of the Year distinction. He averaged 19.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.0 blocks and 3.7 assists per game. Ament tallied 17 points in a 62-51 win versus top-seeded Clinton Grace Christian in the MPSC final.

During his first two prep years, Ament attended Charles J. Colgan High School. As a sophomore, he recorded 18.2 points per game and helped his school set a record with 18 victories en route to a regional quarterfinal berth. Ament earned First Team All-District and First Team All-Class 6 Region B accolades that season, just a year after notching 53 total varsity points as a freshman.

Ament also possesses experience representing the United States in international competition, including most recently competing in the elite Nike Hoop Summit on April 12 in Portland, Ore.

A member of the 2024 U18 USA National Team, Ament took part in the 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup in June and helped his country post a 6-0 record en route to winning the gold medal in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was one of 12 players who made the cut from the initial 28-man, five-day tryout group in May in Colorado Springs, Colo. The prior month, he took part in the 2024 Men’s Junior National Team April minicamp in Phoenix.

Before deciding on Tennessee, Ament fielded interest from many of the nation’s premier programs. He picked the Volunteers over fellow finalists Arkansas, Duke, Kentucky and Louisville, plus held offers from schools such as Alabama, BYU, Georgetown, Kansas State, Notre Dame and Texas, among others.

As a forementioned, Ament is Tennessee’s third top-five recruit ever. In 2010, Tobias Harris placed fifth—one spot behind Ament’s current position—on the Recruiting Services Consensus Index (RSCI) composite list. While no formal rankings for 1989 are available, Allan Houston was among five players on both the USA TODAY First Team All-USA and the HOOP SCOOP First Team All-America.

Ament is Tennessee’s second 2025 signee from the state of Virginia, joining his AAU teammate on Team Loaded VA, Troy Henderson. They are preceded by nine prior letter winners from the state, with James Daniel III (2017-18), Justin Jackson (2008-09) and Duke Crews (2006-08) the three over the last three-plus decades.

Along with Ament and Henderson, Tennessee has also signed two other high school players in  DeWayne Brown II and Amari Evans. Brown, a fellow Gatorade State Player of the Year (Alabama), and Henderson joined Ament as 2024-25 state champions who led their teams to top-15 national MaxPreps finishes, while Evans repeated as the Overtime Elite Defensive Player of the Year.

In addition, the Volunteers have inked two transfers in Jaylen Carey from Vanderbilt and Ja’Kobi Gillespie from Maryland.