Chase Lumpkin is Alabama-bound, and Nate Oats just added another major piece to the Crimson Tide’s 2027 board.
The 5-star guard from Powder Springs, Georgia, had been trending toward Tuscaloosa for a while. He even moved his official visit to Alabama up to this past weekend, a pretty strong signal that his recruitment was nearing the finish line. On Wednesday, he made it official and committed to the Crimson Tide.
Lumpkin, ranked No. 25 overall in the 247 composite, had drawn plenty of attention as one of the top guards in the 2027 class. Alabama wasn’t the only program in the mix. He also took official visits to Michigan, Louisville and USC, but Oats and assistant Preston Murphy were the ones who made him their priority from the start.
That matters because Alabama has made a habit of winning these guard battles. Oats has built his system around backcourt play, and it’s the kind of setup that sells itself to players like Lumpkin: pace, freedom and plenty of chances to create. The Crimson Tide have also shown they can turn that runway into real NBA traction.
Kira Lewis, Josh Primo and Labaron Philon all went in the first round after playing for Oats, and Brandon Miller - who plays like a guard - went No. 2 overall in 2023. Mark Sears, meanwhile, helped lead Alabama to its first-ever Final Four in 2024.
Lumpkin gives Alabama another high-end guard to work with in a 2026-27 roster that already includes Amari Allen, Aden Holloway, Qayden Samuels and Anderson Diaz. Allen is currently projected by most experts as a first-round pick in 2027.
At 6-foot-3, Lumpkin has the size to fit the position, and his 6-foot-8 wingspan gives him a chance to become a real perimeter defender at the college level. His shooting profile points in the right direction, too.
He hit 32% of his threes on the Nike EYBL circuit, but his 79% free-throw mark suggests the jumper should keep improving. Under Oats, that kind of confidence can go a long way.
He’s also a combo guard, which gives Alabama some lineup flexibility. Lumpkin could share the floor with another ball-handler such as Holloway or Diaz, and if both are back for the 2027-28 season, the Tide would have options even in a smaller backcourt.
Alabama still has more work to do in the 2027 class, but landing Lumpkin is a strong opening move. It also fits the pattern Oats has established in Tuscaloosa: build around elite guards, keep the roster loaded and keep the machine rolling.
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LSUs SEC Fight Isnt Over And Alabama Fans Should Notice
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LSU later told the SEC it would not keep roster spots open for DaeQuan Wright and Zxavian Harris, and that helped calm things enough for the conference to pull expulsion talk from the presidents and chancellors meeting agenda. But the matter is far from finished, with more court hearings still ahead and the SEC leaving the door open to possible consequences for LSU depending on how the case develops. [Read more 🡒]