Nate Oats Previews Alabama's Freshmen, Transfers Ahead of 2026-27 Season

Alabama men's basketball's newcomers for the 2026-27 season are no longer considered "commits," but rather "signees."

The Crimson Tide announced on Thursday that Jaxon Richardson, Tarris Bouie, Cole Cloer, Jamarion Davis-Fleming, Brandon Garrison and Drew Fielder have each put the pen to paper and will be members of head coach Nate Oats' roster. The same is said for incoming freshman Qayden Samuels, except he signed with UA on Jan. 30.

"We are thrilled to bring seven young men into our program who are not only very skilled but great people who will bring value to our program," Oats said in a press release on Thursday. "As a group, this class possesses great positional size from our guards to our bigs. We feel that we have gotten bigger in our front court while getting longer and more athletic at each position. We are excited to welcome both them and their families to the Alabama basketball program."

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

"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 in January. "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."

Bouie was the No. 33 prospect on the ESPN 100 list at the time of his commitment. 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.

"Tarris Bouie is a versatile scorer who is capable of scoring due to his ability to move very well across the court," Oats said. "He is really good defensively with quick hands and is a great lateral and vertical athlete. He is a proven scorer, who is averaging nearly 30 points a game at SPIRE and has shown the ability to put up 40 or 50 points a game. We are thrilled to welcome Tarris and his family to Tuscaloosa."

Richardson, 6-foot-6, 205-pounder from Southeastern Prep was ranked as the No. 21 prospect nationally, the No. 7 small forward and the No. 4 player in the state of Florida, per 247 Sports. He's also the No. 27 prospect in On3's rankings and is No. 17 in the ESPN100. The McDonald's All-American is the son of former NBA player Jason Richardson, who was in the league for 14 years. He's also the brother of Orlando Magic guard Jase Richardson.

"Jaxon was arguably the best high school athlete in the country and has developed his skill throughout his high school career, turning himself in to a very good basketball player," Oats said. "Jaxon is extremely skilled and has the ability to be an immediate impact player and affect both sides of the ball."

Garrison, a 6-foot-10, 245-pound big man who transferred from Kentucky, averaged 4.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.8 blocks in the 16.3 minutes per game this past season. Garrison will mostly reside in the paint next season, as he's attempted 57 three-pointers (16 makes - 28.1 percent) in 103 career contests

"Brandon possesses great size and potential due to his great feel inside the paint," Oats said. "Coming out of high school Brandon was a player that is extremely skilled and has the ability to stretch the floor."

Davis-Fleming, a 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward who transferred from Mississippi State averaged 3.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 32 games of his freshman campaign. He was a 4-star recruit and the No. 1 player in the state of Mississippi in the Class of 2025. Javian Davis, his older brother, played at Alabama from 2018-20.

"Jamarion possesses unbelievable physical tools along with his athleticism and great size," Oats said. "Jamarion fits our blue collar mentality as he plays with a competitive edge combined with a great IQ."

Cloer, a 6-foot-8, 190-pound forward, redshirted as an early enrollee with NC State this past season before transferring to Alabama. That said, he will have a full four years of eligibility when he arrives in Alabama. The 4-star recruit attended from the 2026 class is ranked as the No. 59 overall prospect, the No. 23 small forward and the No. 8 player in the state of Florida, per On3.

"Coming out of high school, Cole proved during EYBL that he was one of the best scorers in the country," Oats said. "Cole has a great IQ and feel for the game and as a result, he has won at every level he has played at."

Fielder, a 6-foot-11, 225-pound center/forward who transferred from Boise State, averaged 14.7 points on 54.7 percent from the field - the best mark in the Mountain West - and shot 40.9 percent from deep. The All-Mountain West Second Team member played in 32 games (30 starts), and also averaged 5.7 rebounds, including 1.8 offensive, 1.3 assists, 0.4 steals and 0.5 blocks in 23.7 minutes per contest.

"Drew has really developed in his three years in college and that is due to his amazing work ethic," Oats said. "Drew has improved his shot making from beyond the arc along with his ability to create and make plays from the perimeter. He is a multi-dimensional big man that can affect winning in many ways."

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/alabama as Nate Oats Previews Alabama's Freshmen, Transfers Ahead of 2026-27 Season.

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This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 11:47 AM.