Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats is building something special in the men’s basketball program. Oats knows what he wants his team to look like, not only in the 2025-26 season but in future seasons as well.
With Qayden Samuels committing to the Crimson Tide, Alabama’s 2026 recruiting class just became the most dangerous in the SEC — and potentially Oats’ best since landing Brandon Miller in 2022.
Nate Oats Keeps Building Alabama Program Step by Step
Putting together a solid team can help Oats keep Alabama in the conversation for a Southeastern Conference championship and maybe even a run in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
On Wednesday, Oats picked up a major commitment from Samuels. Per Joe Tipton, the 6-foot-6 wing chose to play for Oats and the Crimson Tide over Georgetown. Other programs reportedly pursuing Samuels included UConn, Kentucky, and Georgetown.
NEWS: 2026 Top-25 overall recruit Qayden Samuels has committed to Alabama, source told @Rivals.
The 6-6 wing chose the Tide over Georgetown, but received blue blood offers from UConn, Kentucky, and North Carolina. https://t.co/dO2Pi8jeCN pic.twitter.com/EFEy475skp
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) January 28, 2026
Samuels is an elite scorer who led the NBPA Top 100 Camp at 26.4 ppg and shot 38.8% on pull-up 3-pointers. His frame fits well in Alabama’s transition offense.
Samuels joins four-star Tarris Bouie in committing to Oats. However, the bigger story is what could come next. Alabama is still pursuing five-star Caleb Holt, an Alabama native and top-five national prospect. If Oats lands both, the class would rival the 2022 haul that produced All-American Brandon Miller.
Entering a Sunday afternoon showdown with the Florida Gators, the Crimson Tide are ranked No. 22 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll. Alabama is 14-6 overall, 4-3 in SEC play, and two games behind SEC-leading Texas A&M. In their most recent conference game, the Crimson Tide rolled past the Missouri Tigers 90-64.
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Guard Labaron Philon Jr. leads Alabama in scoring at 22.0 points per game and also paces the team in assists at 5.1 per game.
While some Alabama basketball observers might think Oats recently reached out to Samuels, the player made it clear that was not the case. Samuels was quoted as saying, “Nate Oats has been recruiting me since I was a sophomore.”
Top-25 overall senior Qayden Samuels just committed to Alabama 🚨😮💨
He averaged 20 PPG & 9.6 RPG on the Nike EYBL with Team Takeover 🔥 @imqaydensamuels @slam_university (📸: @AlabamaMBB) pic.twitter.com/ft4r4rRmGr
— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) January 28, 2026
Given that timeline, Oats’ long-term approach has paid off. The results of his recruiting efforts are beginning to show.
