Chase Lumpkin, No. 28 recruit in 2027 class, commits to Alabama

Top-30 senior Chase Lumpkin has committed to Alabama, he told ESPN on Wednesday, jump-starting Nate Oats’ recruiting class with one of the top-ranked guards in the country.

Lumpkin visited the Alabama campus last weekend, also taking trips to Michigan and USC.

“The relationships I have with both Coach Oats and Coach [Preston] Murphy, on and off the court, have been consistent,” he said. “They not only said I was a priority, but their actions showed it. They attended as many games as possible and never took their foot off the gas.”

Alabama was considered the favorite for Lumpkin for much of the summer, but his trip to Tuscaloosa last weekend closed the deal for the Crimson Tide.

“During my visit, I noticed the trust between Coach Oats and his players, as well as the trust among the players, Coach Oats and the rest of the staff,” he said. “Coach Oats keeps it real with his players. He pushes his players hard in practice, and his players respond. That is something I noticed. They see me staying there for a short period of time, and their plan is to help me develop for the next level while trusting me as a freshman at both positions.

“The new practice facility is insane. It’s completely state-of-the-art. Their style of play and system on both ends fits my ability and game.”

A 6-foot-5 guard from McEachern High School (Georgia), Lumpkin is ranked No. 28 in the SC Next 100 for the class of 2027. He’s the No. 5 shooting guard in the class.

In 20 games with Jet Academy on the Nike EYBL circuit this past spring and summer, Lumpkin averaged 17.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists. He made just over 32% of his 3-pointers on seven attempts per game, but that percentage rose to 38.5% on nearly eight attempts per contest in five games at July’s Peach Jam.

Lumpkin is best suited as a scoring guard, but due to his high hoops IQ, passing vision and touch, he’s a capable playmaker and primary initiator. Along with his size and a plus-3½-inch wingspan, he is a dynamic offensive threat who can quickly facilitate to an open teammate, making him extremely effective as a ball-screen operator. Lumpkin can get hot shooting from a stationary position, coming off screens, spotting up or in a run-and-catch shooting scenario. Lumpkin’s driving ability allows him to find open pockets of space for pull-up jump shots or he can draw two defenders, forcing the defense to rotate and creating an advantage for the offense.

He is one of the more complete guards in the class of 2027. Alabama’s system is dependent on quick scoring strikes and an aggressive scoring mindset that emphasizes transition offense, quality and high-volume 3-point shooting, a high number of free throw attempts and finishing at the rim. When scouting Lumpkin’s strengths, it is easy to see the fit with Oats’ focus on positional size, athleticism and versatile scoring guards on the perimeter.

Lumpkin is the first commitment for Alabama in the 2027 class following Anderson Diaz‘s summer reclassification to the 2026 class. The Crimson Tide are coming off the No. 6-ranked recruiting class nationally, headlined by four top-100 recruits: Jaxon Richardson, Qayden Samuels, Diaz and Tarris Bouie.