Michigan basketball officially adds big men JP Estrella, Jalen Reed

Michigan coach Dusty May has officially added two more to his 2026-27 roster, having announced the signings of Tennessee forward transfer JP Estrella and LSU big man Jalen Reed. They join guards Brandon McCoy and Lincoln Cosby on the “official” list today, with more still to come.

A 6-11 forward from Scarborough, Maine, Estrella has two years of eligibility remaining after being awarded a medical redshirt following a foot injury that limited him to three games during his sophomore season at Tennessee. He played in 61 games with 13 starts, helping the Volunteers reach three straight NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearances while compiling an 82-29 team record.

“J.P. brings size, toughness, and a lot of energy to our frontcourt,” May said. “He knows what it takes to win at a high level and plays the game the right way. He runs the floor, rebounds, competes on every possession, and gives us a strong presence around the basket. Just as important, he’s a great teammate and someone who fits exactly what we’re building here.”

Estrella appeared in 33 games with 13 starts and averaged 10.0 points and 5.4 rebounds in 18.3 minutes per game. He scored in double figures 19 times, added three 20-point games, and posted a team-best five double-doubles. He put up seven points and seven rebounds in an Elite Eight loss to Michigan in Chicago.

Estrella’s career-high came against North Florida this year when he notched 23 points and 10 rebounds, and he added 20 points and 10 rebounds against Vanderbilt, 14 points and 10 rebounds in Tennessee’s NCAA Tournament win over Miami (Ohio). He also led the Volunteers with 92 offensive rebounds and shot 59.6 percent from the field.

Reed, meanwhile, is coming off a second injury that limited his season to six games, a season-ending Achilles injury. He averaged 9.5 points and 5.7 rebounds and shot 57.1 percent from the field.Reed started the first eight games the season prior before a season-ending right ACL injury and averaged career bests of 11.1 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 60.4 percent from the field.

“Despite the challenges of the past two years, Jalen brings experience, toughness and a physical presence to our frontcourt,” May said. “He’s shown he can play at a high level, and having someone with that experience is important for our program.”

Prior to playing 14 games over his final two seasons, Reed appeared in 65 games during his first two years in Baton Rouge. In 2023-24, he started 20 of 32 games and averaged 7.9 points and 4.1 rebounds. As a freshman in 2022-23, he played in 33 games with 11 starts. Overall, Reed appeared in 79 career games with 39 starts for the Tigers, totaling 463 points (6.1 ppg) and 322 rebounds (4.1 rpg). He posted 19 career double-figure scoring games and 34 games with five or more rebounds.

Watch for more Michigan basketball news in the hours and days to come …