Alabama basketball head coach Nate Oats is continuing to stack up wins on the recruiting trail.

On the heels of securing a commitment from 2026 four-star recruit Chris Washington, news broke according to Brett Greenberg of 247Sports, that the top shooting guard in the country Caleb Holt moved up his visit to Tuscaloosa.

Holt is a Huntsville, AL native who originally had a visit to T-Town scheduled in October, but opted to push it up to September 12-14.

While it’s not an official commitment, it’s still major news.

This past weekend, Holt had visited the University of Kentucky, and the weekend prior, visited the University of Arkansas. Outside of Bama, he also had visits scheduled for Auburn in October and Ole Miss in November.

Adam Finkelstein, the Director of Scouting for 247Sports, broke down Holt’s game, and from the looks of it, can thrive in Oats’ system.

“Holt is physically imposing on the perimeter with a terrific combination of length, strength, athleticism, speed, and a wealth of intangibles. He’s competitive, plays hard, and imposes his will on both ends of the floor. He also has good perimeter size at 6-foot-5-plus with a 6-foot-9 wingspan.”

Not only can he play downhill at a rapid pace, but his shooting may be his biggest skill – which is probably why Oats was so aggressive in his pursuit for him.

He generates a lot of scoring from the perimeter, and has a high catch-and-shoot rate where he can impose his will with his smooth stroke and high release.

Oats likes to play at a fast tempo, pushing the pace and shooting at a high level from 3. According to KenPom, Alabama has posted a top-20 offensive adjusted efficiency since 2022, with the past two seasons ranking in the top-five. 

Additionally, this past season, the Crimson Tide were ranked first in the nation in adjusted tempo.

It’s the perfect match for both parties, but the crucial part is winning over Holt during his visit.

However, Oats has always had a way of connecting well with players. He’s managed to get the most out of his team by retaining Mark Sears and Grant Nelson for multiple years, when they could’ve easily gone to the NBA Draft. And not only that, he convinced LaBaron Philon to stay on board, when he was a projected first round pick.

Can the Tide secure the best shooting guard in the country? You can never doubt Oats, and moving up his visit is an encouraging sign to say the least.