The Alabama men’s basketball team has secured their second portal addition of the offseason. On Saturday afternoon, South Florida transfer and Tuscaloosa native Chris Youngblood announced his intent to spend his final year of eligibility in his hometown.
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Youngblood joins a stacked newcomer class that includes transfer guard Houston Mallette, five-star forward Derrion Reid, and four-star forwards Aiden Sherrell and Naas Cunningham. His arrival provides a welcome boost for a backcourt that has recently lost guards Rylan Griffen, Kris Parker, and Davin Cosby.
Youngblood is a 6-foot-4, 218-pound guard who was born in Tuscaloosa before moving to Georgia to play high school basketball. He spent the first three years of his college career at Kennesaw State, increasing his scoring average each season and receiving multiple all-conference awards.
Last offseason, Youngblood followed former KSU coach Amir Abdur-Rahim to USF and proceeded to enjoy the best season of his career: the guard was named the American Athletic Conference’s co-Player of the Year after averaging 15.3 points and 2.1 assists per game while making over 40% of his three-pointers. Under his guidance, the Bulls recorded a school-record 25 victories and won their first-ever AAC championship.
Youngblood entered the portal on April 9th and committed to the Crimson Tide less than 24 hours after visiting campus, telling Bama247 the decision was a “no-brainer.” Alabama is Youngblood’s third school, which could have caused eligibility issues in the past, but the NCAA has confirmed that multi-time transfers will be able to play in 2024-2025 without needing a waiver.
Although Youngblood is listed as a point guard, his tape reveals he profiles more as a shooting guard or wing. He rarely served as USF’s primary ballhandler last season, instead preferring to utilize his impressive shooting ability by coming around screens or taking jumpers.
Youngblood’s range makes him a formidable threat from anywhere on the court. The guard had made 39.4% of his 685 career three-point attempts, including 41.6% of them in 2023-2024. He’s perhaps even more dangerous inside the arc — per Synergy, Youngblood ranked in the 93rd percentile of jump-shot efficiency in 2023-2024. On paper, he’s a perfect fit for Nate Oats’ style of play and should compete for a starting spot from his first day on campus.
With Youngblood’s addition, Alabama has reached their 13-scholarship capacity; however, spots are likely to open up in the coming weeks. Mark Sears and Grant Nelson have not yet indicated their plans for next season, and further departures are possible. Alabama’s staff has continued to contact potential transfers, like Rutgers center Cliff Omoruyi, indicating their expectation that the roster isn’t quite set yet.
Charles Vaughan is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News
