Samuels’ season was cut short due to a foot injury that required surgery, but the Alabama pledge left his mark and gave a handful of performances to remind everyone why he is one of the more natural scoring guard/wings in the class. His ability to knock down shots off the catch with volume should give him a chance to earn some minutes within head coach Nate Oates’ rotation and if he’s able to maintain the steady impact on the glass that he showed coming out of the summer, that should only boost his chances to carve out a role as a freshman in Tuscaloosa.

Samuels maintains his position at No. 2 as he’s continued to showcase himself as one of the better shot-makers in the class. McNamara (MD) has taken on a daunting schedule that includes some of the top teams in the country and currently sit 7-5 overall. Samuels, who is deciding between Alabama and Georgetown, has missed couple of games thus far due to injury, but leaves his mark in the scoring and rebounding categories with consistency and has been the catalyst for a couple of their needle-moving wins such as Sierra Canyon (CA) and Santa Margarita (CA).

If you pay any sort of attention to the local high school hoops scene, you’re well versed with the fact that Samuels is one of the most prolific scorers you’ll find not only in the DMV, but the country when he’s rolling on all cylinders. Tightening things up from an efficiency standpoint, impacting the game in other aspect aside from scoring, and continuing to round out other layers of his game were all focuses coming into this season. So far, Samuels has shown improvement in the efficiency category and did so in City of Palms while exploding for a 40-point outing in McNamara’s win over Garfield Heights (OH) on day three. In the matchup, he went 15-of-23 from the field and even more impressively, hauled in an alarming 16 rebounds. McNamara finished 1-2 overall in their showing down south, but Samuels left his mark averaging 24.6 points per game on 60.4 percent shooting from the field and 57.8 percent from three on 19 total attempts. The 6-foot-5 southpaw was responsible for 8.6 rebounds per contest as well.

It was more of the same from the No. 2 overall player in our MD/DC 2026 rankings in their season opening win over Winston Salem Christian. The 6-foot-6 southpaw went for 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting while pulling down eight rebounds in the 72-63 victory. Samuels’ long-range shot wasn’t falling at the rate that it usually does, so he did his damage attacking closeouts and exposing gaps or getting out on the break for finishes at the rim. When things slowed down, I liked how he took his matchup in the mid-post, used his size to his advantage, and knocked down a couple fadeaways jumpers with soft touch.

-Samuels steps into his senior season ready to prove that he can lead the Mustangs to a WCAC championship with arguably the most talented roster that we’ve seen in Forrestville. A prolific scorer whose finalists include the likes of Alabama and Georgetown, Samuels has proven that he produces on a nightly basis against the best of the best. This year he will need to lead the charge for his group from a vocal leadership standpoint at the defensive end of the floor, as they will likely have the offensive firepower to compete with anyone in the country this year.

Samuels’ recruitment has been kept closer to the vest in comparison to most borderline five-star prospects. Nevertheless, over the last few weeks the dynamic 6-foot-5 scoring southpaw recently took an official visit to Alabama. The Tide should be taken seriously in this recruitment, but Georgetown seems like the team to beat for the Team Takeover product. Samuels’ circle has done a nice job keeping things quiet, but unless Alabama comes in and puts the press on, I’d say Samuels is the Hoyas to lose at this point in time. In today’s recruiting landscape, programs can enter a recruiting picture quickly and change things overnight, so that is always on the table with a prospect as highly regarded as Samuels.

-Our number 1 in the class retains his position after a productive summer that has seen him rake in offers from countless HM programs. Samuels is a skilled scorer that has sharpened his ball-handling ability to allow him to get to his spots in the halfcourt. The improved handle has allowed him to push the pace in transition where he serves as a viable passer, play-finisher at the rim, or shooter from beyond the arc. Love that he impacts the game as a rebounder to earn himself trips to the line to get himself into a rhythm at the offensive end of the floor.

Qayden Samuels Qayden Samuels 6'5" | SF Bishop McNamara | 2026 State #33 Nation MD may be the best player at DMV Live, and he’s one of the premier talents in the country for 2026. He’s had a great summer, and he continued that today. Qayden did a great job getting the rim, and he is so comfortable creating his shot from all three levels. Qayden had 20 points in a high-scoring win over Hargrave National.

An easy choice for the All-Camp team by week’s end, Samuels was among the gaudiest and consistent producers throughout the week en route to leading the camp in both scoring and rebounding. Known as one of the country’s most prolific bucket-getters, he had his scoring ability on full display while averaging over 26 points per contest (54% FG), using his sturdy frame and polished skillset to get to his spots while also hitting on 37% of his 35 3-point attempts. With questions existing about his impact in the floor game in previous settings, it was great to see Samuels answer the bell and haul in nearly 10 boards per game, an area in which he should be able to pose a consistent impact with his positional size, strength, and nose for the ball. At this point he’s clearly on the short list in conversations of the most productive wing guards in the nation.

Samuels is a smooth operating southpaw who has a great control of the game whenever he is on the floor. He has no issue finishing above the rim. Samuels is a threat from behind the arc converting on several chances from deep. Samuels has no issue getting to different spots off the bounce. His blend of size and length allows him to cover different positions on the defensive end.