High School

Alabama Lands A Maryland 4-Star Basketball Recruit And One of the Nation’s Top 2026 Prospects

The Bishop McNamara standout and four-star wing chose Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide over Georgetown and a list of blue-blood suitors.

Harry Lichtman

Qayden Samuels and Bishop McNamar, after starting the year at No. 2 in the state and then falling out of the rankings completely, are back this week at No. 14 after knocking off D.C. No. 1 and nationally ranked Gonzaga College.
Qayden Samuels and Bishop McNamar, after starting the year at No. 2 in the state and then falling out of the rankings completely, are back this week at No. 14 after knocking off D.C. No. 1 and nationally ranked Gonzaga College. / McNamara Basketball Instagram

On Wednesday, Bishop McNamara (MD) boys basketball player and senior Qayden Samuels made his big announcement. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound small forward officially committed to Alabama for Men's Basketball, per On3's Joe Tipton.

Samuels is a Highly-Touted Recruit

Samuels is a consensus four-star recruit and the No. 2 Class of 2026 recruit for high school boys basketball in Maryland. He is also considered the No. 18 prospect nationally, per 247Sports.com.

Samuels has received a lot of attention playing for Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Md. He received multiple college offers and narrowed his choices down to Alabama and Georgetown for his commitment.

In addition to the Crimson Tide, Samuels received offers from other SEC schools such as Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, and Georgia. The senior also received offers from Blue Blood programs UConn, North Carolina and Kansas.

Samuels Visited Alabama in October

Samuels visited Alabama's campus in Tuscaloosa back in October. The wing will now get to bring his scoring abilities and intense play to Coach Nate Oats' team next season.

Samuels is now the second player and small forward to join the Crimson Tide's 2026 class. The other being Tarris Bouie, a 6-foot-6, 170-pound senior from SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio.

Qayden Comes from a Family of Basketball Players

Qayden is one of five siblings in his family to play basketball. His younger sister Qandace is a junior at Bishop McNamara and the No. 2 Maryland girls basketball recruit in her class.

Qayden also has three older siblings: Qwanzi, who most recently played professionally in Hungary, Qadence, who currently plays college basketball at NC State after winning a national title with UConn, and Aleah Rodriguez, who currently plays at CCBC Essex.

Another Step Forward Alabama's Rising Program

Samuels’ commitment continues Alabama’s rise as one of the nation’s premier destinations for elite perimeter talent under head coach Nate Oats. Known for his high-tempo offense, spacing, and player development, Oats has turned the Crimson Tide into a consistent SEC and national contender, producing NBA-ready wings and guards.

Samuels’ blend of size, athleticism, and scoring versatility fits perfectly into Alabama’s system, where long, switchable forwards thrive in transition and on the perimeter. His ability to defend multiple positions and attack off the bounce should make him a matchup problem at the college level. Landing a top-20 national prospect from a powerhouse program like Bishop McNamara also strengthens Alabama’s recruiting footprint in the DMV, a region loaded with Division I talent and future pros.

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Harry Lichtman
HARRY LICHTMAN

Harry Lichtman is a sports reporter based in Montgomery County, MD and the DC area. He also writes for Capitals Outsider and LastWordOnSports, and previously wrote for MLB Report, The Sports Pulse, the Baltimore Jewish Times, the Montgomery County Sentinel, and The Bottom Line newspaper at Frostburg State University. In 2020, Harry won an MDDC Press award for a story about former high school lacrosse head coach Jeff Fritz. Harry has been writing since 2016.

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