Alabama Men’s Basketball Secures Five-Star Commitment in 2026 Class
On Wednesday morning, Alabama men’s basketball received a verbal commitment from Qayden Samuels, a top-20 player in the class of 2026, according to Joe Tipton of On3.
The 6-foot-5, 210-pound forward out of Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Maryland, is ranked as the No. 18 player nationally, the No. 2 player in the state of Maryland, and a consensus five-star recruit according to the 247Sports Composite.
Three months ago, Samuels narrowed his commitment to two schools, Georgetown and Alabama, ultimately choosing the Crimson Tide.
In a scouting report by Adam Finkelstein, the director of scouting for 247Sports, Finkelstein noted many key attributes of Samuels’ game.
"He may hunt his offense, and try to score on virtually every catch, but there are few players in the country who can put points on the board in bunches like he can when he gets hot," he said.
Finkelstein later mentioned how naturally strong Samuels is, with a wingspan of 6 feet, 11 inches. His scoring capabilities include shooting 38% on off-the-dribble 3-pointers, with the main concern being consistency in maintaining his best level of play.
"In short, when he’s rolling, he’s one of the best players in the country, putting up big numbers, scoring at all three levels, defending, and rebounding," Finkelstein said. "Consistency is the key, though."
Currently, Samuels is wearing a walking boot, which he was seen in during the fourth matchup of Day 4 of the Hoophall Classic on Jan. 18. Nonetheless, he was in high spirits, cheering on his teammates against Rainier Beach. Samuels and his team ultimately lost the game 91-85.
Samuels joins Tarris Bouie as the only two players thus far in the Crimson Tide's 2026 recruiting class after the decommitment from Christopher Washington Jr back in November. Even with these additions, Oats and crew seemed to continue its pursuit of Caleb Holt, a consensus top-five player in the class.
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