Tennessee has landed its second top 40 commitment in the past month with the pledge of four-star center JP Estrella on Friday afternoon. He joins Freddie Dilione in the Volunteers’ 2023 recruiting class, and Rick Barnes and his staff are not done yet.
Estrella spoke with Rivals about why he chose the Vols, what Tennessee fans can expect from him and who he is hoping to recruit to Knoxville.
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2023 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2025 Rankings: Top 40
Transfer Portal: Latest news
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IN HIS OWN WORDS
Why he chose Tennessee: “For me, it was the culture and the family-like feel. I talk to their staff almost every single day since I’ve gotten the offer from them and I’ve just been building and building and building a great relationship with their staff. They’ve done the same thing with my mom and dad. They’ve talked with them both on a daily basis, too. It really means a lot to me that they do that and they talk with my family as well. Obviously, when I was on campus, I got to see how the players reacted to the coaches and all of that, and it was just like one big family-like atmosphere. I really enjoyed that. It was the only visit where I didn’t really want to leave when it was time for me to go. I just wanted to stay a little longer because I was having so much fun. Fit. Fit’s a big thing, too. I thought I fit in really well with their program. Coach Barnes has a vision for me, and I really see myself in that vision.”
Who he’s targeting in 2023: “Davin Cosby, we definitely want him. I was talking with (assistant) coach Rod (Clark) about him today, and I’ll definitely do my recruiting a little bit. Hopefully, my recruitment will help him out a bit and get him over in that orange.”
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What Tennessee is getting
“Off the court, they’re going to be getting a very loud, goofy guy," Estrella said. "I’m really outgoing and always having a good time. On the court, I’m a big energy booster, very versatile. I’m athletic and I can block shots. I can shoot the ball really well and I’m a really good passer on the perimeter or in the post. Other than that, I’ll just do a little bit of everything, really. I’m just a great teammate, too. I think I can bring almost everything into the game.”
