On November 6, 2015, he committed to play college basketball for Tennessee over 20 other NCAA Division I programs, including Georgia and Clemson.

[5] Sources: On November 22, 2016, in his first season at Tennessee, Fulkerson recorded 12 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in a 69–65 overtime loss to 13th-ranked Oregon.

[13] Fulkerson finished the season averaging 13.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game and was named to the Second Team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) by the league's coaches.

[14] He led his team in scoring, rebounding and steals, while shooting 61.2 percent from the field, which ranked second in the SEC and fourth in school history.

[8] Fulkerson suffered a concussion and facial fracture during Tennessee's 78–64 win over Florida in the 2021 SEC Tournament, forcing him to miss the remaining two games of the season.

He decided to return for a sixth season in April, taking advantage of the NCAA's granting of an additional year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.