It appears that the first official visit weekend of the fall for Nate Oats and Alabama basketball has been fruitful.
A few hours after landing a commitment from 6-foot-9, Top-40 wing Chris Washington Jr., the Tide's first pledge of the 2026 recruiting class, Alabama is now trending to land another.
4-star SF Tarris Bouie, the No. 53 player in the 247 composite rankings, was in Tuscaloosa over the weekend with Washington. Just a few hours after Washington's commitment was announced, 247's Travis Branham logged an expert prediction for Bouie to land with the Crimson Tide as well:
Crystal ball placed by @TravisBranham_ on another 2026 basketball prospect in favor of Alabama:https://t.co/s9tBd1diAo
— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) September 8, 2025
Bouie has been trending toward Alabama for a minute, and many expected he would be the first domino to fall for Oats and the 2026 recruiting class. Washington just happened to beat him to the punch on Monday.
Bouie is another big wing at 6-foot-6, who has the versatility to play as a big guard or a true wing. He has a similar athletic profile as Washington - both are outstanding athletes who need to get into a collegiate weight room and bulk up to be able to handle the rigors of major college basketball.
Similarly, Bouie has potential as a shooter, but he shot just 23% from three-point range on the Nike EYBL circuit. 247's Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein summed up Bouie like this:
"The bottom line is that Bouie has a very high upside, has made some clear strides within the last year, and still has a lot of room for future growth that could potentially take his game to new levels."
Nate Oats and Alabama have a ton of momentum on the recruiting trail
With Washington in the bag and the team trending for Bouie, Nate Oats has a ton of momentum on the recruiting trail right now. It's easy to see why, considering the level of success Alabama has achieved under his watch. The Crimson Tide is now one of the most consistent programs in the country, making three consecutive trips to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament with a Final Four and Elite Eight thrown in.
Oats has developed a system that players enjoy playing in, and has proven he can develop pros. It's why Alabama - a team that is not a traditional basketball blue blood - is consistently involved in the recruitment of some of the top prospects in the country, regardless of where they are from.
If Alabama can land Bouie, they'll still push for one more wing. They want that wing to be 5-star Alabama native Caleb Holt, who is at the top of their recruiting board.
They'll also be in the market for a lead guard with Labaron Philon almost certainly entering his final year in Tuscaloosa. 5-star Deron Rippey Jr. is the top candidate for that spot at the moment, and will visit this weekend.
Alabama is also high on Dylan Mingo and Brandon McCoy, but has yet to land visits with either.