Nate Oats has made his message clear: Alabama is done being undersized.
After the 2025-26 season, Oats decided the 2026-27 roster needed a different look, and he said it plainly: "We got to get bigger." That wasn’t just about the NCAA Tournament loss to Michigan, where size was a problem. It was also about Alabama becoming tougher physically, especially when the game turns into a battle inside.
The roster Oats has put together points in that direction. Alabama’s 2026-27 team is set to feature two players listed at 6-foot-10, two at 6-foot-11 and one seven-footer.
Two of those big bodies also bring real weight: 6-foot-10 Brandon Garrison is 245 pounds, while 7-foot TJ St. Louis checks in at 265.
How often all that size actually plays together is another question. Sophomore Collins Onyejiaka, who is 6-foot-11, and freshman St.
Louis may not be locked into major minutes. Oats won’t always want to go big, either.
His system works best when the floor is spread and Alabama has just one player handling the dunker role on offense. But there are matchups where size is less of a preference and more of a requirement.
Florida looks like one of those teams. The Gators, led by Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Reuben Chinyelu, are widely viewed as having the best frontcourt in college basketball.
In Alabama’s 23-point loss to Florida last season, the Gators owned the glass 44-33, held the Tide to 46.4% on two-point attempts and crushed Alabama in the paint, 72-26. That kind of interior punishment is exactly the sort of problem Oats seems intent on addressing.
Texas could bring a similar challenge. The Longhorns are expected to start 7-foot, 255-pound center Matas Vokietaitis alongside transfer David Punch, a 6-foot-7 player who plays bigger than his height.
Texas also added reclassified five-star Marcus Spears Jr., a 6-foot-9 prospect who could help quickly. And the depth doesn’t stop there: John Clark is 6-foot-9 and 245 pounds, Lewis Obiorah is 7-foot-1 and 255 pounds, and freshman Coleman Elkins is 6-foot-11.
Alabama will only see Florida and Texas once each in the regular season, but the frontcourt tests may start earlier. The Tide could run into Houston in the Players Era tournament, and possibly Gonzaga as well. Kelvin Sampson’s team has a massive interior presence in 7-foot-1, 290-pound Arafan Diane, while Gonzaga can throw four 6-foot-10 players at opponents, plus Arizona State transfer Massamba Diop, who is 7-foot-1.
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For Alabama, the more important part is that this is not a tidy, united conference position. Some SEC voices have been open to expansion, others have been resistant, and Sankey acknowledged the leagues frustrations are real. He also said his recent conversation with College Football Playoff staff did not leave him satisfied, which only adds to the sense that the next round of playoff talks could get messy fast. [Read more 🡒]
Aden Holloway Just Cleared Another Step Toward Alabama Return
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Holloway has already returned to practice with the Crimson Tide this summer, but his path back is still not fully complete. He must satisfy requirements from the court, the university and the basketball program before he is fully cleared, and he intends to reenroll at Alabama this fall. [Read more 🡒]
John Mateer Finally Addressed What Alabama Forced Him To Relive
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Mateer also had to handle a quick return from hand surgery before facing Texas, another reminder of how much he was juggling down the stretch. He acknowledged the rough patches while still sounding focused on what comes next, and for Oklahoma, the bigger question is how much those lessons can shape a quarterback who already knows the standard is only going up. [Read more 🡒]