A few Alabama basketball targets in the 2028 recruiting cycle are being floated as possible candidates to move up a class, and one of the names tied to the Crimson Tide is 4-star wing Isaiah Hamilton.
On3’s Jamie Shaw reported Wednesday, Sept. 2, that five prospects currently in 2028 are being rumored as possible reclassification candidates for 2027. Four of those players already hold Alabama offers: 5-star guard Colton Hiller, 5-star center Yann Kamagate, and 4-star forwards Isaiah Hamilton and Benji Berrouet.
Shaw said Alabama got “involved early” with Hamilton, a 6-foot-6 wing from Montverde Academy in Florida. The Toronto, Ontario, native has also played for Canada on the Under Armour Next 16U Circuit and at the FIBA U17 World Cup.
Hamilton has more than 15 offers, with Florida State and Villanova also among the schools Shaw noted as early players in his recruitment. He does not have any official visits scheduled right now, though that could change if he does reclassify.
There’s also a draft wrinkle here: if Hamilton were in college as a freshman in 2027, his October 2009 birthday would make him eligible for the 2028 NBA Draft.
Other SEC programs to offer Hamilton include Arkansas, Georgia and Missouri, with Arkansas the first conference school to jump in on the top-five dunk machine. Alabama got there first, extending its offer on Oct. 30, 2025, before Arkansas and Georgia followed in June.
Alabama has already seen one recent reclassification pay off on the roster front. Anderson Diaz, a former 2027 guard, chose Tuscaloosa in July and helped push the program’s 2026 recruiting class up to sixth in the 247Sports Composite.
The Crimson Tide will open exhibition play for the 2026 season on Thursday, Oct. 15, at Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham, where they’ll face Ole Miss.
In Other News...
Alabamas Toughness Debate Just Got More Uncomfortable For Tide Fans
An anonymous Big Ten running backs coach took aim at Alabamas style of play this week, framing the Tide as a team that can be pushed around and pointing back to last years loss to Indiana as evidence. For a program that sells physicality as part of its identity, any suggestion of softness tends to land loudly, and this one arrived at a time when Alabama is already trying to prove it can be more efficient and more consistent in the trenches.
Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb did not brush aside the concern, acknowledging the offense dealt with too many negative-yardage runs last season. He pointed to the need for better communication and cleaner execution in the running game, a reminder that the conversation around Alabamas toughness is not just external chatter but something the staff is clearly trying to address before the next season gets moving. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Got A Feel Good Visit Right Before The Season Opener
Right before Alabama kicked off its season, the program got a little extra star power on campus. WWE standout Oba Femi, better known to Crimson Tide followers as former track athlete Isaac Odugbesan, stopped by the universitys athletic facilities and spent time with the football team and coach Kalen DeBoer, turning the visit into one of those feel-good moments that reminds everyone how wide Alabamas athletic reach really is.
Femi also took in the upgrades around the facilities, and he was complimentary about the work ethic he saw from the football side. The visit carried an added flourish when he presented DeBoer with a custom championship belt, a fitting gesture from someone who has climbed fast in WWE and still has a connection to the school that helped shape his athletic path. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama WR Ryan Coleman-Williams Is Taking A Risk He Can't Afford
Ryan Coleman-Williams heads into a pivotal junior season for Alabama with his future very much on the line after a sophomore year that left questions about his reliability as a receiver. The Crimson Tide wideout has spent the offseason trying to sharpen the details that can make or break a draft case, and teammates have noticed the urgency behind his work. Zabien Brown has pointed to Coleman-Williams competitiveness and effort in practice as signs that he is attacking the challenge head-on.
Coleman-Williams has also chosen to lean into a familiar approach as he tries to clean up the part of his game that drew the most scrutiny. For a player who needs a strong year to reframe the conversation around him, every rep will matter, and Alabama will be watching closely to see whether the adjustment helps him turn a promising skill set into dependable production. [Read more 🡒]