Nate Oats and Alabama may be on the verge of adding another big name to the 2027 class.
Just under two months after the Crimson Tide landed composite 5-star guard Chase Lumpkin out of Georgia, Alabama is now trending hard for another elite prospect: Zion Green. The 6-foot-9 forward from Philadelphia, who plays at Compass Prep in Chandler, Arizona, is ranked No. 24 overall in the 247 composite.
Green took an official visit to Alabama in September, but for a while the momentum seemed to be pointing elsewhere. Ole Miss had been the school gaining ground in his recruitment, with several predictions backing the Rebels. That changed after Ole Miss landed 4-star PF Ahmed Nur, a player with a similar physical profile to Green.
Now the tide has shifted back in Alabama’s favor. On Friday, multiple predictions landed for the Crimson Tide to secure Green, according to the Rivals Prediction Machine. National writers Joe Tipton and Jamie Shaw, along with Ole Miss team reporter Zach Berry, all projected Green to join Alabama’s 2027 class.
Green brings size and skill, and Alabama clearly sees him as a fit in Nate Oats’ system. He is listed at 6-foot-9 and 190 pounds, and his game draws comparisons to Noah Clowney and Jarin Stevenson.
He’ll need to add strength to handle the four spot in the SEC, but he also has the tools to slide into a jumbo wing role if necessary. The best fit, though, looks like a stretch four.
There’s real shooting touch in his profile, too. Per his 247 profile, Green hit 41% from three in Pro16 play on 2.6 attempts per game and made 78% of his free throws.
If Alabama gets Green, he’d be another major piece for a class that already includes Lumpkin. Together, the two would give the Crimson Tide a pair of composite 5-star prospects both ranked in the national top 25.
Alabama’s 2026 class already included plenty of talent, with four signees ranked in the top 55 of the composite: 5-star Jaxon Richardson and 4-stars Qayden Samuels, Anderson Diaz, and Tarris Bouie.
The 2027 class may end up being smaller, especially with the kind of roster turnover Alabama could face for the 2027-28 season. Lumpkin and Green might be the only high school additions Oats targets in that cycle if Alabama wants to preserve room in the transfer portal after the season. Still, there’s usually a twist somewhere along the way, and Diaz provided one when he began as a 2027 prospect before reclassifying into 2026 and joining the Crimson Tide right away.
Oats and Preston Murphy have built a reputation as one of college basketball’s most effective recruiting duos, and they may be closing in on another blue-chip win in Tuscaloosa.
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For Alabama, the concern is obvious: whenever a coach starts showing up on another blue-bloods wish list, the speculation follows. DeBoers contract was built to give the Tide stability, but the USC angle keeps his name in circulation for a job that would be hard for any coach to ignore, and it leaves Alabama fans waiting to see whether the noise fades or grows louder. [Read more 🡒]