Nate Oats says Alabama football 5-star signee has a spot on Crimson Tide basketball team
By SDS Staff
Published:
Nick Saban might not be the only Alabama coach who benefits from Alabama signing 5-star cornerback Ga’Quincy “Kool-Aid” McKinstry. Nate Oats says the two-sport athlete has a spot waiting for him on the Crimson Tide basketball team.
“I’ve talked to him numerous times kind of through the recruitment process,” Oats told reporters, per Tyler Martin of SI’s Bama Central. “Obviously he’s gonna come on a football scholarship, but I think his athleticism, his toughness — he’s a kid that I think could add something. How much and where and what will all be determined. But we’ve definitely told him he’s got a spot on the basketball team when he comes here.”
It wouldn’t be new for Oats to coach a two-sport athlete.
“I did it at Buffalo,” Oats reminded reporters. We had a backup quarterback play on the basketball team. But when they were playing, they weren’t always in a bowl game and even when they were, it wasn’t in a national championship game going into the middle of January. If a kid on the football team right now were to be on the basketball team, they couldn’t join for another almost month still.
“We’ve just gotta figure some of the particulars out once he gets here, but he’s a really hard-playing, really athletic, talented kid that wants to play basketball and we could definitely use some toughness on the basketball team.”
UA hoops fans will have to wait a bit to see McKinstry in crimson and white on the hardwood. Oats acknowledged that McKinstry is enrolling early and will focus on football. Perhaps in the 2021-22 season, we’ll see him play both sports.
Saturday Down South reports and comments on the news around the Southeastern Conference as well as larger college football topics.
