Nate Oats Previews Alabama Basketball's Newest Signee

Alabama men's basketball landed a commitment from small forward Qayden Samuels on Wednesday, and he officially signed with the Crimson Tide two days later.

The 6-foot-5, 210-pound standout from Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Md., is ranked as a consensus 4-star recruit who is ranked as the No. 18 prospect nationally, the No. 6 small forward and the No. 2 recruit in the state, per 247 Sports. He's also the No. 23 prospect in On3's rankings and holds the No. 22 spot in ESPN's list.

Alabama head coach Nate Oats previewed Samuels when he signed with the Crimson Tide on Friday.

“Qayden Samuels is an electric scorer and has proven himself to be one of the best scorers in the country," Oats said in a press release. "Qayden is a very good athlete, who plays above the rim and makes good plays with the ball in his hands. We are elated to sign one of the most sought-after players in the country.”

Samuels, who officially visited Alabama last October, chose the Crimson Tide over Georgetown on Wednesday. He also previously received offers from a plethora of schools, including SEC programs Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas and Georgia. In addition to the Wildcats, he had offers from other Blue Blood programs such as UConn, North Carolina and Kansas.

During the 2025 EYBL Circuit, Samuels averaged the 10th-most points per game (20.0) on 45 percent from the field, 40.4 percent from deep and 78.4 percent at the free-throw line over 15 contests as a member of Team Takeover. He was eighth in total rebounds (9.6), second in defensive rebounds (8.4) and tied with four of his fellow top prospects in double-doubles with three.

Perhaps Samuels' best performance at the EYBL Circuit was during a 74-54 win over Team United, as he finished with 27 points on 52.9 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from downtown, 11 rebounds, including one offensive, two assists and two steals.

A few more facts about Samuels include that he is a 2026 McDonald’s All-American nominee, he participated in the NBPA Top 100 Camp this summer, averaging 26.4 points and 9.8 rebounds in five contests, he attended the 2025 USA Basketball Fall Minicamp, was a First Team All-WCAC selection and he set the Bishop McNamara school record for most points scored in a game with 45.

Samuels becomes the second player and small forward to join the Crimson Tide's 2026 class, alongside Tarris Bouie. At the time of Bouie's commitment on Sept. 10 of last year, he was UA's second commit, but fellow 4-star small forward Chris Washington Jr. decommitted on Nov. 17.

2026 Alabama Basketball Commits

1. 4-Star SF Tarris Bouie, 6-foot-6, 170 lbs. - Geneva, Ohio (Committed 9/10/2025)
2. 4-star SF Qayden Samuels, 6-foot-5, 210 lbs. - Forestville, Md (Committed 1/28/2026)

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