Alabama Basketball Lands Kentucky Transfer Brandon Garrison

Alabama basketball has secured a commitment from former Kentucky forward Brandon Garrison through the NCAA transfer portal. Garrison, a 6-foot-10 big man, becomes the first transfer portal addition for the Crimson Tide following the 2025-26 season.

Reported by On3’s Joe Tipton and DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony, the move provides a significant boost to Alabama’s front court for the 2026-27 season. Garrison joins the program after spending two seasons with the Kentucky Wildcats and will enter the next season as a senior with one year of eligibility remaining.

Career Statistics and Performance

During his two-year tenure at Kentucky, Garrison appeared in 71 games, including five starts. Across those appearances, he averaged 5.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. His shooting efficiency during this period was 52.9 percent from the field, 28.1 percent from three-point range, and 56.3 percent at the free throw line.

In his junior season, Garrison played 36 games and started five of them. He averaged 4.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. His shooting percentages for the junior campaign were 55.6 percent from the field, 23.5 percent from three-point range, and 59.1 percent from the free throw line.

Prior to his time at Kentucky, Garrison began his collegiate career at Oklahoma State during the 2023-24 season as a freshman. During that inaugural season, he averaged 7.5 points, and 5.3 rebounds per game.

Recruiting Profile and Background

Garrison arrived in college as a highly regarded prospect from Del City High School. He was a consensus 4-star recruit in the class of 2023 and was ranked as the No. 36 overall player in the nation and the No. 5 center according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

His high school accolades include being named the Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year and being selected as a McDonald’s All-American. He was also ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of Oklahoma by 247Sports.

Before choosing Oklahoma State, Garrison was recruited by several high-profile programs, including Houston, Florida, and Kansas.

Roster Impact and Strategic Fit

The addition of the 245-pound forward comes as Alabama seeks to fill a void in its interior rotation. A primary priority for the program this offseason is finding a replacement for Aiden Sherrell, a 6-foot-11 forward who entered the transfer portal. Sherrell started every game for the Crimson Tide and led the SEC in blocks during the previous season.

While Garrison is one inch shorter than Sherrell and had fewer minutes of experience, he is considered a candidate to help fill Sherrell’s role. Based on his career shooting profile, Garrison is expected to operate primarily in the paint for the 2026-27 season, having attempted 57 three-pointers and made 16 of them across 103 career collegiate contests.

Garrison’s size also complements the existing Alabama roster. If all current players return for the 2026-27 season, Garrison would be tied for the second-tallest player on the team at 6-foot-10, alongside forward Keitenn Bristow. Both players are shorter than 6-foot-11 center Collins Onyejiaka. Both Bristow and Onyejiaka missed the majority of the 2025-26 season.

Given his experience and physical profile, Garrison is likely a candidate to start at center for the Crimson Tide during the 2026-27 season.