Nate Oats could be closing in on Alabama basketball's third commitment in the 2026 recruiting class.
Back in September, Alabama landed commitments from 4-stars Chris Washington Jr. and Tarris Bouie in the same week. Since then, Oats has been aggressive on the trail, landing visits with some of the top recruits in the country.
With the early signing period for basketball beginning in less than a week, we could see another commitment or two for the Crimson Tide.
The one to watch is 5-star 2026 wing Qayden Samuels, the D.C. native who is currently ranked as the No. 18 overall player in the class, per the 247 composite. Most believe his recruitment is down to Alabama and Georgetown, and the Crimson Tide got some good news on Thursday.
247's Travis Branham placed a crystal ball prediction on Alabama with a "high" confidence level.
Samuels took an official visit to Tuscaloosa last month, and Alabama has remained in a good spot for him ever since. He would be the highest-ranked commitment for Oats in this class thus far, though Alabama remains in the hunt for some of the top prospects in this class as they pursue the nation's top overall class.
Qayden Samuels is an elite scorer who would fit Alabama's system perfectly
One look at his scouting report or his film makes it obvious why Oats and the Tide's coaching staff covet Samuels. He's an elite scoring wing with the ability to shoot from three and get to the rim at will. He's 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, meaning he should project as a pesky defender and be the prototypical 3-and-D type wing that is perfect for Alabama's system.
"Samuels is a volume scoring lefty wing. He may hunt his offense, and try to score on virtually every catch, but there are few players in the country who can put points on the board in bunches like he can when he gets hot. While he would undoubtedly benefit from being a more willing ball-mover (1.4 assists to 1.7 turnovers) and picking his spots a little more selectively, he has the high release point to make tough shots without much separation, both in the mid-range area and behind the arc. He’s lethal with his pull-up game, shooting 38% from behind the arc off the dribble, and has a complimenting floater game as well."Adam Finkelstein, 247
The 38% three-point shooting off the dribble is wildly encouraging for his future development. He would have nothing but green lights from Oats and this coaching staff to take as many of them as he wants.
Samuels and Alabama seem like a perfect fit for one another. Hopefully, Oats can close the deal soon and bring the 5-star to Tuscaloosa.