Alabama
Tracker: Alabama Basketball’s Returners, Additions, Departures for 2026-27 Season
4-seed Alabama basketball fell to 1-seed Michigan 90-77 in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on March 27 in Chicago. This loss ended the Crimson Tide’s 2025-26 season with a 25-10 record.
These next couple of days will be a reflection for Alabama and head coach Nate Oats. The Tide will recount the moments that made them laugh, cry and created a bond that will last a lifetime. But the page will be turned to the 2026-27 season very soon.
The transfer portal opens on April 7, the day after the National Championship, and closes on April 21. BamaCentral is keeping track of the Crimson Tide’s outgoing and incoming players and coaches right here ahead of next season.
This article will be updated regularly throughout the offseason as changes to the roster and staff occur.
Last Update: March 28
Players Who Could Return, Transfer or Enter NBA Draft
G Labaron Philon Jr. (would be a junior)
G Aden Holloway (would be a senior)
G Jalil Bethea (would be a junior)
G Davion Hannah (would be a sophomore *pending redshirt*)
G Preston Murphy Jr. (would be a senior)
F Amari Allen (would be a sophomore)
F Aiden Sherrell (would be a junior)
F London Jemison (would be a sophomore)
F Taylor Bol Bowen (would be a senior)
F Keitenn Bristow (would be a junior *pending redshirt*)
C Collins Onyejiaka (would be a sophomore *pending redshirt*)
Exhausted Collegiate Eligibility
Latrell Wrightsell Jr.
Wrightsell was the lone 2025-26 Alabama player who was also a member of the 2023-24 Final Four team. He wrapped up his sixth season of basketball, playing three with the Crimson Tide after starting his career with Cal State Fullerton. He was labeled by Oats as a leader of this team on numerous occasions and his early departure from last season following an Achilles rupture gave him a National Championship mentality.
Wrightsell averaged 13.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals. In 27 appearances (19 starts), he played 27.3 minutes per game and had shooting splits of .403/.360/.793.
Houston Mallette
Whenever Mallette’s name was mentioned during a press conference, Oats lit up and gushed over him. The guard was also recognized as a leader and it showed every game via his extreme energy on and off the floor. Like Wrightsell, Mallette’s 2024-25 season — his first in Tuscaloosa after three years at Pepperdine — ended early due to knee injuries, and he plays every game as if it’s his last.
Mallette averaged 6.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.6 steals. In 35 appearances (12 starts), he played 23.3 minutes per game and had shooting splits of .372/.355/.886.
Noah Williamson
Williamson transferred out of Bucknell last offseason after being named the Patriot League Player of the Year. The Alabama center was available for every game this season, but he averaged less than 10 minutes per contest. His season-high was 10 points against Kentucky, but he also scored eight with two 3-pointers in the Round of 32 win over Texas Tech.
Williamson averaged 1.3 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.3 blocks. In 33 appearances (no starts), he played 8.2 minutes per game and had shooting splits of .313/.167/.643.
Officially Returning
Will be updated
NBA Draft Declarations
Will be updated
Outgoing Transfers
Will be updated
Incoming Transfers
Will be updated
Assistants on the Move
Will be updated
Incoming Assistants
Will be updated
The 2026 Recruiting Class
The rankings listed are from the time of each player’s commitment
Tarris Bouie, Small Forward
Bouie, who signed with Alabama last November, is the No. 33 prospect on the ESPN 100 list. The 6-foot-6, 170-pound SPIRE Academy standout from Geneva, Ohio, is the 13th-ranked player at his position and the second-best athlete in his state.
“I have a very good relationship with coach [Nate] Oats,” Bouie told ESPN when he committed. “We talk often, and that was the big difference in my decision. He is a genuine guy. Coach Oats recruited me hard, and I really like their style of play. Over the summer, I remember him being at almost every one of my games.
Qayden Samuels, Small Forward
The 6-foot-5, 210-pound standout from Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Md., is ranked as a consensus 4-star recruit who is ranked as the No. 18 prospect nationally, the No. 6 small forward and the No. 2 recruit in the state, per 247 Sports. He’s also the No. 23 prospect in On3’s rankings and holds the No. 22 spot in ESPN’s list.
“Qayden Samuels is an electric scorer and has proven himself to be one of the best scorers in the country,” Oats said in a press release. “Qayden is a very good athlete who plays above the rim and makes good plays with the ball in his hands. We are elated to sign one of the most sought-after players in the country.”
Jaxon Richardson, Small Forward
The 6-foot-6, 205-pounder from Southeastern Prep is ranked as the No. 21 prospect nationally, the No. 7 small forward and the No. 4 player in the state of Florida, per 247 Sports. He’s also the No. 27 prospect in On3’s rankings and is No. 17 in the ESPN100.
The McDonald’s All-American is the son of former NBA player Jason Richardson, who was in the league for 14 years. He’s also the brother of Orlando Magic guard Jase Richardson.
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Alabama
Kevin Turner Prattville YMCA Golf Tournament welcomes Auburn, Alabama players as guest hosts
PRATTVILLE, Ala. (WSFA) – One of the most anticipated golf tournaments of the year happens Monday — the 29th annual Kevin Turner Prattville YMCA Golf Tournament.
This year’s guest hosts are both placekickers — former Alabama kicker Michael Proctor and current Auburn kicker Alex McPherson.
Proctor, a Pelham High graduate, came to the Crimson Tide in 1992, a year after Turner was drafted by the Patriots. But he still remembers the Prattville native’s infectious personality that resonated with teammates. “I had heard about the tournament through the years,” Proctor said. “It’s a big deal. Kevin is a big deal. When he was playing here, and even after his unfortunate passing, he’s well remembered and respected. Anything I can do to help anything in his name, I would be willing to do. I met him when I was there. He came back, obviously knowing people on the team that he had played with. Anything I can do for his name … I’m sure anybody at Alabama or anybody that knew him would be willing to do anything for him because he would do the same for you.”
McPherson, a Fort Payne High graduate, came to Auburn in 2022, weathered an inflammatory bowel disease that sidelined him in 2024, and is now preparing for his fifth year as the Tigers’ kicker. And even though he never knew Turner personally, he’s looking forward to the tournament.
“I’m honored,” McPherson said. “I heard what the tournament was about, Kevin and his story. I heard that one of the former Alabama kickers was going to be in the tournament and that they would love to have a kicker from Auburn. They thought that I would be a great fit.”
Proctor was recruited as one of the nation’s top prep kickers and went through a high school and collegiate career where he made 184 of 185 extra points. He kicked a then-record 60-yard field goal at Pelham and nine of his 26 field goals were longer than 50 yards. He finished a four-year career as the Crimson Tide’s second leading scorer with 326 points, earning All-American honors in 1993 and 1994 after winning a national championship in 1992 and returning as the Southeastern Conference’s top kicker a year later.
McPherson was recruited as one of the nation’s top kickers and kicked a record 61-yard field goal in high school before joining the Tigers. Like Proctor, his breakout year came as a sophomore (in 2023) where he made 13 of 13 field goal attempts and 40 of 40 extra point attempts in becoming a Lou Groza Award semifinalist.
Turner went through a five-year battle with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), which was triggered by CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), a disease that hits home with many collegiate players from that era who witnessed it first with Turner and more recently with former Tide running back Kerry Goode.
The tournament helps fund the “Coach A Child Scholarship Fund Campaign” which provides financial aid to make YMCA services available to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay.
The Prattville YMCA has provided financial aid to more than 3,300 people, many of them children, at a cost of more than $400,000. This year, the goal is to raise $285,000 for the Coach A Child Fund Campaign.
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Alabama softball is the cream of the crop heading into the 2026 NCAA softball tournament, cemented as the No. 1 overall seed for the first time in 16 years.
The Crimson Tide’s ranking means it will host a regional and, if it advances, a super regional. The regional field will consist of USC Upstate (36-21), Belmont (40-11) and SE Louisiana (46-14).
The Tuscaloosa Regional is double-elimination. Action will run through May 15-17 on SEC Network.
It marks the 27th straight NCAA Tournament appearance for Alabama and the 21st-straight season it is hosting a regional at Rhoads Stadium, not including the canceled 2020 season. The Crimson Tide has advanced to the Women’s College World Series 15 times and is looking to do so for the first time in two years.
Alabama has one national championship, which came in 2012.
Alabama is coming off a championship game loss in the SEC Tournament. Seven unanswered runs led to a 7-1 fall to Texas, securing the Longhorns their first SEC Softball Tournament title during their second year in the conference on Saturday, May 9.
Friday, May 15
- Game 1: Alabama vs. USC Upstate, noon CT
- Game 2: Belmont vs. SE Louisiana, 2:30 p.m. CT
Saturday, May 16
- Game 3: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, TBD
- Game 4: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, TBD
- Game 5: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 3 Loser, TBD
Sunday, May 17
- Game 6: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, TBD
- Game 7: Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser (if necessary), TBD
Amelia Hurley covers high school and college sports for The Tuscaloosa News and USA TODAY Network. You can find her on X at ameliahurley_ or reach her at ahurley@usatodayco.com.
Alabama
Alabama mom sentenced to life for hiring hitman to kill her child’s father over custody dispute
An Alabama woman was sentenced to life in prison Friday after authorities said she hired a hitman to kill her child’s father in a custody dispute.
Jaclyn Skuce, 43, of Madison, was convicted of capital murder after hiring a man to kill the child’s father in order to prevent him from gaining custody or further visitation, the Morgan County District Attorney’s Office said.
The Hartselle Police Department was dispatched on July 24, 2020, to a residence for a welfare check after Anthony Larry Sheppard failed to appear in court for a scheduled custody hearing.
His attorney had asked officers to check on him, investigators said.
Upon arrival, police discovered Sheppard’s storm door shattered and the main door ajar.
Officers later found Sheppard dead with multiple gunshot wounds.
Investigators determined that Skuce hired Logan Delp to kill Sheppard in order to prevent him from gaining custody or further visitation with his child.
Prosecutors said Skuce used social media to hire the hitman, who lived in Hartselle, according to the Hartselle Enquirer. She allegedly offered to pay $30,000.
“There are never any winners in a case like this,” Chief Assistant District Attorney Garrick Vickery said following the verdict.
“This jury was incredibly thorough and took their time to make sure they made the right decision, both for Mr. Sheppard and for the defendant.”
Vickery added, “We are glad that they convicted her for the choice she made to take Mr. Sheppard away from his family.”
Skuce was found guilty of three counts of capital murder: murder for hire, murder of a witness, and murder committed by shooting into an occupied dwelling.
Four other defendants have been charged with capital murder in connection with Sheppard’s death.
Delp was convicted of capital murder in October 2025, the DA’s office said. Another defendant has pleaded guilty, and two others are awaiting trial.
Skuce will be imprisoned without the possibility of parole in the Alabama Department of Corrections.
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