The biggest advantage to Nate Oats' role on the U18 USA national team is that it gives him inroads with some of the most talented high school prospects in the country. He'll spend several weeks coaching them up and building relationships, which could be extremely beneficial for Alabama on the recruiting trail.
It appears to be paying dividends quickly.
5-star wing Malachi Jordan said in an interview on Thursday that he has a visit scheduled with Alabama on October 10th for the Crimson Tide's football game against Georgia:
Five-star Malachi Jordan was one of the younger players to make the U18 USA team and held his own with his physicality and shot creation. He says he wants to visit Alabama, Kansas, Tennessee and Vanderbilt in the fall. Full interview: https://t.co/C20dC0Gerg pic.twitter.com/L4UeS9MSd8
— Krysten Peek (@krystenpeek) June 4, 2026
5-star wing Malachi Jordan schedules official visit to Alabama for the fall
Jordan is originally a native of Nashville, but he's playing high school ball in Arizona. Oats had previous success in the Nashville area with an elite prospect, landing Brandon Miller in the 2022 recruiting class. Miller parlayed a brilliant season at Alabama that culminated in the Tide's first-ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament into becoming the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA Draft.
That's a pretty strong selling point for Oats.
Jordan is currently ranked as the No. 13 overall player in the 247 composite and a consensus 5-star recruit. Alabama extended an offer last summer and figured to be a player in his recruitment no matter what, but there's little doubt that Oats' role with Team USA has strengthened their position.
There will be plenty of other suitors for Jordan, and Alabama won't be his only visit, but getting the first one set up gives the Crimson Tide a leg up in his recruitment so far. Jordan holds other offers from the likes of Kansas, BYU, Auburn, Tennessee, Indiana, and Missouri, among others.
People underestimate the impact Oats' position on the USA staff could have. It was a huge bonus for Tommy Lloyd and Arizona in the pursuit of Alabama native Caleb Holt, with Lloyd coaching Holt during the USA U18 last summer. A big payday didn't hurt, for sure, but Lloyd made inroads with Holt during that time.
Holt's decision to go to Arizona was a big loss for Oats and Alabama, but perhaps Oats can flip the script this summer with his standing with Team USA.
Oats has consistently landed high-level recruiting classes during his time with the Crimson Tide, and now he has a built-in advantage for the next couple of cycles.
Jordan is one of the biggest fish in the pond in the 2027 cycle, and if Oats can reel him in, Alabama will take a massive jump toward securing another elite class.
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