Alabama has long been seen as the frontrunner for 5-star guard Chase Lumpkin out of Powder Springs, Georgia. Lumpkin, the No. 25 overall player in the 247 composite, moved up his official visit to Tuscaloosa to this past weekend in a clear sign that his recruitment was coming to an end and things were trending in favor of Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide.
He made it official on Wednesday by announcing his commitment to Alabama:
NEWS: 2027 Top-25 overall recruit Chase Lumpkin, one of the top combo guards nationally, has committed to Alabama, he told @Rivals. ⁰https://t.co/qMhQn4Sigh pic.twitter.com/tGoxNnXNj1
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) September 9, 2026
5-star guard Chase Lumpkin commits to Alabama basketball
Lumpkin was one of the most highly sought-after guards in the 2027 class. He had a plethora of offers, and he took official visits to Michigan, Louisville, and USC, to go along with Alabama.
Oats and assistant Preston Murphy have made Lumpkin their top priority from the jump in the 2027 class, and they'll get a nice head start to the cycle by landing such an impactful player.
You might remember that the Crimson Tide previously landed a commitment from 2027 guard Anderson Diaz, but he reclassified into the 2026 cycle and joined Alabama immediately. He's already on campus and will play for Oats this season.
Oats has consistently brought elite guards to Tuscaloosa. They are paramount to his system. It's an easy sell for guys like Lumpkin with the freedom Oats gives to his guards. Who wouldn't want to play in a fast-paced, shoot-at-will system that allows guards total freedom and creativity?
It's not just numbers Oats can sell, either. He's put guards into the league, too. Kira Lewis, Josh Primo, and Labaron Philon were all first-round picks after playing for Oats. That's not even counting Brandon Miller, who plays like a guard and went No. 2 overall in 2023.
That's also not counting prolific college talents like Mark Sears, who led the Crimson Tide to their first-ever Final Four in 2024.
Alabama's 2026-27 roster includes talented guards like Amari Allen, Aden Holloway, Qayden Samuels, and Diaz. Allen is currently projected as a first-round NBA Draft pick in 2027, per most experts.
Lumpkin has the potential to be as good as any. He's listed at 6-foot-3, but he's helped by a 6-foot-8 wingspan that could allow him to develop into a strong perimeter defender at the college level.
Lumpkin projects as an elite shooter down the line, though he only hit 32% of his three-point attempts during the Nike EYBL circuit. His 79% free-throw percentage is a good indicator of future shooting success, and Oats will pump him full of confidence.
Lumpkin is a combo guard who could play next to another on-ball type guard like Aden Holloway or Diaz. Both could come back to Alabama for the 2027-28 season, and while it would mean a smaller-than-optimal backcourt, they would all be able to play together if needed.
Alabama still has some targets out there in the 2027 cycle, but adding Lumpkin is a heck of a start and is sure to attract other talented players who want to play with him in Tuscaloosa. It remains to be seen how many spots the Crimson Tide might have available, but Oats has proved himself to be a maestro of roster-building, continually putting talented rosters on the court for Alabama despite not operating with the same NIL war chest as others.
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