Bama Central

Recruiting Rundown: Bama Hoops Remains Active in 2026 Class

Nate Oats and the Alabama Crimson Tide are in play for some of the top prospects in the 2026 recruiting class.

Mason Woods

Jan 8, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats directs his team against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images
Jan 8, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats directs his team against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images / Jeff Blake-Imagn Images
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Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide men's basketball team currently sit at 13-2 on the season and have tipped off conference play with back-to-back blowout victories. The sixth year head coach has helped bring the program out of mediocrity through not only his fast-paced, NBA friendly style of play, but through elite recruiting from the first season he arrived on campus.

The Tide currently holds the No. 11 ranked recruiting class in the nation for 2025, and while there is likely still more to come for the upcoming class, Oats and his staff have also begun to put together a blueprint for the 2026 class as well.

This week, the Tide made massive strides with many top prospects in the 2026 recruiting class, setting itself up for likely yet another successful recruiting cycle.

According to Joe Tipton of On3, Alabama is among several schools vying for top-20 recruit Deron Rippey, Jr. from Blairstown, New Jersey. He is a 5-Star prospect and is ranked as the No. 5 point guard in the class. Standing at 6-foot-2, 175 lbs., Rippey is a speedy guard with excellent quickness and vision to push the ball down the court.

Chris Washington, Jr., another top-20 player in the 2026 class, is also reportedly receiving interest from the Tide. He told On3 this week that Alabama is one of eight schools that have reached out to him the most.

Washington, who stands at 6-foot-7, 175 lbs., is an extremely lengthy, athletic wing player that fits the Oats system perfectly and would likely be able to provide solid playing time as a freshman.

Ikenna Alozie, a 6-foot-2, 185 lb. combo guard from Glendale, Arizona, is reportedly drawing interest from Alabama as well. He revealed this week that the Crimson Tide, as well as Louisville, Washington, Arizona, Houston, Kansas and Rutgers, are the teams that have been in touch with him the most.

Alozie is rated by 247Sports as a 5-Star prospect and is ranked as the No. 10 overall player in the nation.

As for players in the 2025 class, Crimson Tide signee London Jemison was in Tuscaloosa this week for a visit. He was in attendance at Coleman Coliseum for Alabama's massive win over Oklahoma to start SEC play.

Jemison signed with the Tide in November, joining Amari Allen and Davion Hannah. He is ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of Connecticut.

Moving to football news, Kalen DeBoer and his staff were also quite active this week, making trips around Alabama to visit many of the top prospects the Yellowhammer state has to offer.

Recent Crimson Tide commit Zyan Gibson received a visit this week from Alabama's all-star team of recruiters in DeBoer, Mo Linguist, Nick Sheridan and Courtney Morgan. He announced his commitment just last month Christmas Eve, choosing the Tide over Miami, Auburn and Tennessee.

DeBoer and outside linebackers coach Christian Robinson worked their way to south Alabama to take a visit to Mobile's own Anthony Jones. The 6-foot-3, 240 lb. edge rusher is a 4-Star prospect and is rated as the top player in the state.

Jamarion Matthews, another 2026 edge rusher prospect, also received a visit from the staff this week. He took to social media to share a photo with DeBoer and defensive line coach Freddie Roach. Though he is unranked now, the Harvest, Alabama native holds offers from the likes of Clemson, Florida, Ole Miss and more.

Finally, DeBoer and Roach also made their way into Tennessee to pay a visit to 4-Star 2026 athlete prospect Caden Harris from Haywood High School in Brownsville. A two-way player for the Tomcats, Harris hauled in 37 receptions for just under 800 yards and eleven scores in 2024 as well as 30 total tackles on defense, seven pass deflections and an interception.

As for players receiving offers this week, 4-Star linebacker Brayden Rouse from Kell High School in Marietta, Georgia was the first to take to social media to share the news. He is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 30 linebacker in the nation and the No. 43 player in the state.

Next was in-state 2026 edge rusher Kamhariyan Johnson from Muscle Shoals. An unranked prospect currently, Johnson has great size at 6-foot-4, 240 lbs. and already has other offers from many other power four programs, including the likes of Auburn, Missouri, Oklahoma and more.

2026 linebacker Cincere Johnson from Cleveland, Ohio also received an offer from the Tide this week. Standing at 6-foot-3, 225 lbs., he is one of the top players in the state and is already being pursued by many of the nation's top programs.

DeBoer and his staff turned their attention once again to Mater Dei in California this week, extending an offer to 4-Star prospect and current Oregon commit Tomuhini Topui. A 6-foot-23, 320 lb. defensive lineman, Topui is one of the top players in the state and holds offers from many of the nation's top programs.

Looking at players already committed to the Crimson Tide, 2027 edge rusher Ba'Roc Willis announced he is set to attend Alabama's Junior Day on February 1st.

Willis also took to social media to share a training video, giving Alabama fans a glimpse of what is to come once he arrives on campus.

As for the 2025 class, many of the Tide's early enrollee players arrived in Tuscaloosa this week as seen in a video posted to social media from the Alabama football account.

Incoming Crimson Tide quarterback Keelon Russell can be seen early in the video getting to know his new teammates. The 5-Star signal caller signed his first major NIL deal this week, joining Panini America for a deal that will feature not only a line of football cards, but appearances in upcoming promotional material for the company.

Fellow 2025 signee Marshall Pritchett, who like Russell, went down in the Under Armour All-American game with an apparent injury, revealed the extent of his injury this week. The talented tight end took to social media following a successful surgery to repair a broken clavicle.

While he is obviously out of the foreseeable future, Pritchett has plenty of time to recover before spring football kicks off.

2025 Football Signees

  1. EDGE Justin Hill, 6-foot-3, 220 lbs. - Cincinnati, Ohio (Signed 12/04/2024)
  2. TE Marshall Pritchett, 6-foot-5, 211 lbs. - Rabun Gap, Georgia (Signed 12/04/2024)
  3. S Ivan Taylor, 6-foot, 174 lbs. - Winter Garden, Florida (Signed 12/04/2024)
  4. LB Darrell Johnson, 6-foot-1, 200 lbs. - Eastman, Georgia (Signed 12/04/2024)
  5. WR Lotzeir Brooks, 5-foot-9, 170 lbs. - Millville, New Jersey (Signed 12/04/2024)
  6. OT Micah DeBose, 6-foot-5, 215 lbs. - Mobile, Alabama (Signed 12/04/2024)
  7. DL London Simmons, 6-foot-3, 296 lbs. - Flowood, Mississippi (Signed 12/04/2024)
  8. LB Luke Metz, 6-foot-3, 220 lbs. - Hoschton, Georgia (Signed 12/04/2024)
  9. OT Mal Waldrep, 6-foot-5, 320 lbs. - Phenix City, Alabama (Signed 12/04/2024)
  10. DL Steve Mboumoua, 6-foot-4, 290 lbs. - Summit, Mississippi (Signed 12/04/2024)
  11. QB Keelon Russell, 6-foot-3, 175 lbs. - Duncanville, Texas (Signed 12/04/2024)
  12. CB Dijon Lee, 6-foot-4, 190 lbs. - Mission Viejo, California (Signed 12/04/2024)
  13. DL Kevonte Henry, 6-foot-4, 220 lbs. - Norwalk, California (Signed 12/04/2024)
  14. CB Chuck McDonald, 6-foot, 190 lbs. - Santa Ana, California (Signed 12/04/2024)
  15. K/P Alex Asparuhov, 6-foot-3, 190 lbs. - Fresno, California (Signed 12/04/2024)
  16. LB Abduall Sanders, Jr., 6-foot-1, 225 lbs. - Santa Ana, California (Signed 12/04/2024)
  17. OL Michael Carroll, 6-foot-6, 315 lbs. - Bradenton, Florida (Signed 12/04/2024)
  18. OT Jackson Lloyd, 6-foot-7, 290 lbs. - Carmel, California (Signed 12/04/2024)
  19. TE Kaleb Edwards, 6-foot-6, 240 lbs. - El Dorado Hills, California (Signed 12/04/2024)
  20. RB Akylin Dear, 6-foot-1, 200 lbs. - Quitman, Mississippi (Signed 12/04/2024)
  21. WR Derek Meadows, 6-foot-4, 20 lbs. - Las Vegas, Nevada (Signed 12/04/2024)

2026 Football Commits

  1. CB Zyan Gibson, 5-foot-11, 177lbs. - Gadsden, Alabama (Committed 12/24/2024)

2027 Football Commits

  1. ATH Alexander Ward, 6-foot-1, 170 lbs. - Marietta, Georgia (Committed 11/26/2024)
  2. EDGE Jabarrius Garror, 6-foot-2, 200 lbs. - Mobile, Alabama (Committed 07/31/2024)
  3. EDGE Ba'Roc Willis, 6-foot-3, 220 lbs. - Moody, Alabama (Committed 07/30/2024)

Check out the Alabama football recruiting tracker for the latest of the 2025 class and more.

2025 Basketball Signees

  1. SF Amari Allen, 6-foot-7, 180 lbs. - Green Bay, Wisconsin (Signed 11/13/2024)
  2. SF London Jemison, 6-foot-8, 200 lbs. - Oakdale, Connecticut (Signed 11/18/2024)
  3. SG Davion Hannah, 6-foot-5, 180 lbs, - Brandon, Missouri (Signed 11/18/2024)

Check out the Alabama men's basketball recruiting tracker for the latest of the 2025 class and more.

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Mason Woods
MASON WOODS

Hello, my name is Mason Woods and I have lived my entire life with a passion for all things SEC football. I'm eager to jump right into Bama Central and provide you with all your Alabama Crimson Tide news. Connect with me on Twitter, currently known as X, @mawoods_ 

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