Alabama basketball officially announces seven additions to program

Head coach Nate Oats announced the addition of seven players to Alabama’s roster for the upcoming 2026-27 season. The Crimson Tide welcomes three freshmen in Tarris Bouie, Jaxon Richardson and Qayden Samuels while also adding four transfers including Cole Cloer, Jamarion Davis-Fleming, Drew Fielder and Brandon Garrison. 

2026 NLI Signing Class Notes

• Rated as the No. 4 freshmen signing class, according to On3 
• Inked the nation’s 23^rd-ranked transfer class, according to 247
• Fifth consecutive top-15 signing class for head coach Nate Oats since arriving on campus
• First time in program history UA has had five straight top-15 signing classes

Nate Oats on 2026 Signing Class: “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. 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.”

Tarris Bouie | F | 6-6 | Charlotte, N.C. (SPIRE Academy)

• A four-star recruit and the No. 2 player from the state of Ohio according to ESPN
• Also listed as ESPN’s 12^th-ranked small forward and No. 34 player nationally
• Invited to the USA Basketball U18 Training Camp 
• Averaged 15.5 points and 6.0 rebounds on the Nike EYBL circuit in the summer
• Began his prep career at Julius L. Chambers High School in Charlotte before transferring to SPIRE Academy for his senior season

Nate Oats on Tarris Bouie:

“Tarris Bouie is a versatile scorer who is capable of scoring due to his ability to move very well across the court. 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.” 

Cole Cloer | F | 6-8 | Hillsborough, N.C. (North Carolina State/IMG Academy)

• A consensus four-star recruit who was rated as the No. 25 overall recruit by ESPN and the No. 27 prospect by 247Sports
• Participated in 2025 USA Men’s U19 National Team training camp
• Led Caldwell Academy to the North Carolina 2A state title game in 2024-25, averaging 18.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game
• Became the fastest player in school history to reach 1,000 career points 
• Committed to North Carolina State out of high school as an early enrollee and used the 2025-26 season as a redshirt year

Nate Oats on Cole Cloer:

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

Jamarion Davis-Fleming | F | 6-10 | Canton, Miss. (Mississippi State/Canton High School)

Mississippi State

• Averaged 3.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 0.7 assists per game coming off the bench in 26 of his 32 games
• Was one of the five players to have minutes in all of State’s 32 games
• Recorded five or more rebounds in 18 games 
• Led Mississippi State in rebounding six times
• Shot 67.6 percent from the floor (50-74), including 32/45 during Southeastern Conference play 

Prep

• A consensus four-star recruit who was the state of Mississippi’s top prospect coming out of Canton High School
• No. 97 on ESPN’s top 100 list for the class of 2025
• Named the 2024-25 Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Mississippi
• Two-time recipient of the MHSAA 5A Mr. Basketball award
• Helped CHS win back-to-back state titles in his final two years of prep ball
• Averaged 24.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 4.0 blocks in his senior season on the way to a second consecutive state championship

Nate Oats on Jamarion Davis-Fleming:

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

Drew Fielder | F | 6-11 | Boise, Idaho (Boise State/Georgetown/Southern California Academy)

Boise State

• Started 30 of 32 games for Boise State during the 2025-26 season, averaging a career-high 14.7 points and 5.7 rebounds
• Recorded 471 total points, grabbed 183 rebounds and dished out 40 assists in his lone season with the Broncos
• Scored 20-plus points in 10 games for BSU
• Shot 54.7 percent from the field, 40.9 percent from three-point range and 78.5 percent from the charity stripe during the 2025-26 campaign 

Georgetown

• Played two seasons at Georgetown where he averaged 6.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game
• Scored in double-figures in 12 games while at Georgetown 
• Posted a pair of double-doubles during his two seasons with the Hoyas

Prep

• A four-star recruit out of Southern California Academy who was ranked as the No. 19 center in the 2023 class according to 247Sports
• Played in the 2022 Under Armour Association showcase circuit, averaging 10.7 points and 8.5 rebounds in six games
• Averaged 11.5 points and 5.5 rebounds at the 2022 Chick-Fil-A Classic on 52.6 percent from the field and 40 percent from deep

Nate Oats on Drew Fielder:

“Drew has really developed in his three years in college and that is due to his amazing work ethic. 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.”

Brandon Garrison | F | 6-10 | Oklahoma City, Okla. (Kentucky/Oklahoma State/Del City High School)

Kentucky

• Appeared in 71 games with five starts during his two seasons at Kentucky
• Tallied 372 points, 281 rebounds, 103 assists and 50 blocks for the Wildcats
• Led the team in blocks in 16 games including a career-high six blocks in Kentucky’s first round NCAA Tournament win over Santa Clara in 2026
• Paced Kentucky in field goal percentage (57.2) during the 2023-24 season 

Oklahoma State

• Averaged 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 22.7 minutes per game across 32 contests, including 29 starts
• Ranked fifth in the Big 12 in blocks per game with 47 swats, the fifth-most ever by an Oklahoma State freshman
• Notched all three of his 20-point games against conference opponents including two against nationally ranked foes
• Shot 58.9 percent from the field, the fourth-best all-time for an OSU freshman

Prep

• A consensus four-star recruit who was the top-ranked prospect in the state of Oklahoma and the fifth-rated center in the class
• 2023 Oklahoma Gatorade and MaxPreps Players of the Year 
• Was a 2023 McDonald’s All-American nominee and selected to the USA Today All-USA Team
• Included on the 2023 Jordan Brand All-Star roster
• Led Del City High School to a pair of 5A state titles in 2021 and 2023 along with a runner-up finish in 2022
• Averaged a double-double as both a junior (13 points and 10 rebounds) and senior (15.7 points and 10.0 rebounds) at DCHS

Nate Oats on Brandon Garrison:

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

Jaxon Richardson | G | 6-6 | Maimi, Fla. (Southeastern Prep Academy)

• Ranked as a four-star recruit, the No. 7 small forward and the No. 19 player nationally on ESPN’s SCNEXT 100
• A 2026 McDonald’s All-American honoree who also won the McDonald’s Slam Dunk contest
• Named a McDonald’s All-American honoree and the 11^th McDonald’s All-American under head coach Nate Oats
• Led Columbus High School (Miami, FL) to 7A state championships in his sophomore and junior seasons there
• Won the 2026 McDonald’s All-American Dunk contest
• Scored 11 points and grabbed two rebounds in the 2026 McDonald’s All-American game
• Captured a 2025 7A State championship while at Columbus during his junior season with Cameron and Cayden Boozer
• Son of former NBA player Jason Richardson and his brother, Jase, plays for the Orlando Magic

Nate Oats on Jaxon 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. Jaxon is extremely skilled and has the ability to be an immediate impact player and affect both sides of the ball.”

Qayden Samuels | G | 6-6 | Forestville, Md. (Bishop McNamara High School)

• Ranked as a four-star recruit, the No. 8 shooting guard and the No. 26 player in the country by 247
• Tabbed as the No. 2 recruit from the state of Maryland
• Ranked 10^th in scoring on the 2025 EYBL Circuit, scoring 20 points per game while shooting over 40 percent from three-point range for Team Takeover
• A 2026 McDonald’s All-American nominee
• Participated in the NBPA Top 100 Camp this summer, averaging 26.4 points and 9.8 rebounds in five contests
• Attended the 2025 USA Basketball Fall Minicamp 
• A 2025 First Team All-WCAC selection Set the Bishop McNamara school record for most points scored in a game with 45 points

Nate Oats on Qayden 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. His defense has been improving, and we are elated to sign one of the most sought-after players in the country.”

*** This information was acquired in a recent press release from UA Athletics.

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