Head coach Nate Oats has announced that Qayden Samuels is the first player to sign with the Alabama men’s basketball team for its 2026 recruiting class.
Samuels, a 6-foot-6 player from District Heights, Maryland, attends Bishop McNamara High School. He is ranked as a four-star recruit and is listed as the No. 6 small forward and No. 18 overall player by 247Sports. He is also considered the second-best recruit in Maryland.
During his time on the 2025 EYBL Circuit, Samuels averaged 20 points per game and shot over 40 percent from three-point range while playing for Team Takeover. He was nominated as a 2026 McDonald’s All-American and participated in the NBPA Top 100 Camp this summer, where he averaged 26.4 points and 9.8 rebounds across five games.
Samuels attended the 2025 USA Basketball Fall Minicamp and was named First Team All-WCAC. He set a school record at Bishop McNamara by scoring 45 points in a single game.
Nate Oats said about Samuels: “Qayden Samuels is an electric scorer and has proven himself to be one of the best scorers in the country. 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.”
