Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
Tennessee power forward J.P. Estrella is entering the transfer portal ahead of his redshirt junior season, he announced on Instagram Monday afternoon.
“After a lot of thought and conversation with my family, I have made the difficult decision to enter the transfer portal,” Estrella posted. “My time as a Vol over the past three years has meant more to me than I can put into words, and I will always cherish the memories and relationships I’ve built here.
“Thank you to my coaches, teammates and Vol nation for the constant love, support, and belief in me. While this decision wasn’t easy, I’m excited and hopeful for what the next chapter holds.”
Estrella ranked third on Tennessee’s roster by averaging 10 points per games last season while also averaging 5.4 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-11 forward played in 33 games and started 13 games and was one of the Vols’ better offensive options.
A Scarborough Maine native, Estrella shot 59.6% from the field and 63.4% from the foul line last season. Estrella scored in double figures 19 times last season and scored 20-plus points three times including a 22-point performance against South Carolina and a 20-point performance against Vanderbilt.
Estrella showed flashes of all-conference level play a season ago but never at the level of consistency that Tennessee would have liked. However, Estrella is still a relatively young player in terms of career minutes played and could be due for a breakout 2026-27 season elsewhere.
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Injuries have had a major impact on Estrella’s career to date. He underwent season-ending foot surgery early in the 2024-25 season and missed time due to both a knee and ankle injury during this past season.
Defense has been Estrella’s weakness to this point in his career though he steadily improved as he played more-and-more minutes over the course of his redshirt sophomore season.
Estrella is the third Tennessee player to announce plans to enter the transfer portal this offseason, joining Cade Phillips and Clarence Massamba. However, Estrella is the first Tennessee starter to enter the portal. As things currently stand, Bishop Boswell is the only returning starter that the Vols have from last season’s Elite Eight team.
The Vols have also added one transfer to their roster when Belmont graduate transfer Tyler Lundblade signed with Tennessee over Illinois, Virginia, Baylor and Kansas State last week.
Tennessee now has three scholarships open for next season with seven outgoing players and four incoming players at the moment.
