It just wasn't meant to be for Alabama and Nate Oats on Tuesday. In case you missed it, the Crimson Tide were a finalist for 5-star shooting guard Caleb Holt, with many holding out hope that the sharpshooter would be SEC-bound.
Unexpected Alabama commit is Nate Oats' insurance for Caleb Holt recruiting loss
Instead, the 6-5, 200-pounder is heading for the sunshine in Tucson instead, as he committed to Arizona and head coach Tommy Lloyd. From the moment that news dropped, plenty of fans have been voicing their displeasure with athletic director Greg Byrne, as there's been speculation that NIL was what cost the Tide here. Allow us to throw cold water all over that idea.
The moment Caleb Holt committed to Arizona 👏
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 10, 2026
He is the No. 4 recruit in the @SCNext 100 Class of 2026. pic.twitter.com/9Ffght0hoB
5-star Caleb Holt committing to Arizona stings for plenty of Alabama fans
Was this in the works for the past week or so? While some people are bummed, keep in mind that Alabama just received the pledge of 4-star wing Jaxon Richardson. Richardson chose Bama over 20 other offers, including Miami, Creighton, USC, Ole Miss and many others.
That verbal from Richardson came after the Crimson Tide previously signed 4-star prospects Qayden Samuels and Tarris Bouie for the '26 haul. That class is ranked No. 9 in the country by 247Sports, which strongly hints the future is going to keep being bright for the program. As for Holt, it wasn't just him chasing a bag, as his relationship with Lloyd made the difference here, not money.
Caleb Holt points to his time at USA Basketball with Tommy Lloyd as the main reason for his commitment.
— Jason Scheer (@jasonscheer) March 10, 2026
It's always going to sting a bit when Alabama misses out on an elite target like this. We'll be the first to admit Byrne is far from perfect in helping out the Tide with recruiting in all sports too, but in this particular case, people can't just point the blame on him here.
Holt is a bonafide stud and he's already projected to be a lottery pick in the 2027 NBA Draft. Seeing him make plays for Oats and Alabama next season would have been great. Unfortunately, he's off to the Big 12 and SEC fans won't be able to enjoy him putting on a show. Again, this isn't on Byrne - not at all.