Tennessee Basketball Lands 2026 Guard Marquis Clark

Rick Barnes and this Tennessee basketball program have been on a roll on the recruiting trail as of recent and that momentum is not slowing down anytime soon, with 2026 guard Marquis Clark announcing his commitment to the Volunteers over a plethora of mid major options.

The standout from Chicago is rated by 247Sports as the 39th-best point guard recruit in the 2026 recruiting cycle and will add another needed ball-handling guard to the future outlook of the Vols roster.

STRONG LEVEL OF PLAY ON EYBL CIRCUIT

Listed at 6-foot-1, he took on point guard responsibilities for his AAU team, Meanstreets, putting forward several impressive performances and was an effective as an all-around weapon for his team that was facing the top AAU competition in the EYBL circuit.

In 22 games on the EYBL circuit, the new Tennessee guard commit averaged 15.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists while shooting an efficient 48.3% from the field.

A point guard from a major city in the northern part of the United States with a brand of hard-nosed and blue collar basketball that flies under the radar but Barnes favors and makes it a point to land him... sounds familiar.

It also sounds like a prospect who will fit in nicely to what head coach Rick Barnes looks to accomplish on the court as his points guards are an extension of him and absolutely vital to the success of the program.

Under his leadership, the coaching staff has identified a particular type of person and player when it comes to the guards that they want handling the basketball and clearly they feel confident in the ability of Clark after an excellent summer on the AAU ball, stepping up for his team when it was needed.

SCOUTING THE NEW ADDITION

Rick Barnes, Zakai Zeigler, Rick Barnes coaching — Tennessee Head Coach Rick Barnes speaks with Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler (5) during a NCAA college basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the South Carolina Gamecocks at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, February 25, 2023. Kns Vols Hoops South Carolina Bp | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

When watching his highlights, he is a guard who understands how to work with the ball in his hands, playing at the tempo he decides and getting to either his spots or a position to pass the ball to a teammate in a better position for success.

As a scorer, he has success attacking downhill despite just being 6-foot-1, due to his usage of tempo and sturdy frame, something that will be put to use in the offense at Tennessee.

Session 3 pic.twitter.com/VthebQbKmj
— Marquis Clark (@Quisdabeast29) May 28, 2025

Tennessee needed a strong class full of playmakers in this 2026 recruiting cycle and the coaching staff has been very active at getting future contributors in this class recently to secure a strong future for the basketball program on Rocky Top.