Tennessee basketball has extended an offer to a 7-footer inside the 2026 class.
Marcis Ponder, who goes by the nickname ‘The Big Show’ and has been called ‘Baby Shaq’, revealed he received a Vols offer on April 29.
Ponder is a four-star recruit and the No. 58 player in the 2026 cycle.
Along with Tennessee, Ponder holds offers from SEC schools Auburn, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi State.
Other Power Five offers on the table come from Arizona State, Florida State, Georgetown, Illinois, Kansas, Miami, Providence, Rutgers and Central Florida.
He’s also taken an official visit to Memphis and one to Providence.
Ponder lists himself as 7-feet tall out of West Oaks Academy in Orlando, Florida. Competing in The Grind Session, he earned All-Defensive Team honors alongside the likes of No. 1 recruit AJ Dybantsa.
It’s this style of play that makes him an intriguing prospect. He’s an elite rim protector who has the agility to be athletic in the paint and the frame to not get pushed around.
Unlike some 7-footers, he’s put his weight over 300 pounds to avoid being too stringy
