Alabama Basketball Lands Commitment From Consensus Top-25 Prospect

Qayden Samuels becomes the second player and small forward to join the Crimson Tide's 2026 class.

Alabama 2026 Qayden Samuels | Obtained from Qayden Samuels' Instagram

Alabama men's basketball has landed a commitment from small forward Qayden Samuels, per On3's Joe Tipton.

Samuels also broke the news with a video on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Tune in…. pic.twitter.com/TNhibS2oD5

— Qayden Samuels (@imqaydensamuels) January 28, 2026

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.

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.

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.

Bouie, who officially signed with Alabama last November, is the No. 33 prospect on the ESPN 100 list. The 6-foot-6, 170-pound SPIRE Academy standout from Geneva, Ohio, is the 13th-ranked player at his position and the second-best athlete in his state.

Bouie came to Tuscaloosa in early September for his official visit and committed to the Tide later that same month, choosing Alabama over the likes of Georgetown, Marquette, Michigan and many more. 

“I have a very good relationship with coach [Nate] Oats," Bouie told ESPN when he committed. "We talk often, and that was the big difference in my decision. He is a genuine guy. Coach Oats recruited me hard, and I really like their style of play. Over the summer, I remember him being at almost every one of my games.

"I really like their style of play, it fits me. That was big for me. They play fast, and in the open court they shoot 3s and attack the basket."

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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