Former Alabama forward Sam Walters commits to Michigan out of the transfer portal

The Michigan Wolverines and Dusty May continue to build for the 2024-25 season as former Alabama Crimson Tide forward Sam Walters has committed to Michigan.

With this announcement, Walters is the fifth player to commit to the Wolverines via the transfer portal, joining Yale center Danny Wolf, Ohio State guard Roddy Gayle Jr., North Texas guard Rubin Jones and Auburn guard Tre Donaldson.

The 2023-24 season was a memorable one for Alabama. The Crimson Tide made it to the Final Four for the first time in program history before losing to UConn. Throughout that run, Walters came off the bench to help the Crimson Tide in big moments, giving him some excellent experience on the big stage.

Walters, who was a four-star high school prospect from the Villages Charter School in Florida, saw a decent amount of playing time as a freshman. He played 12 minutes per game, averaging 5.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.4 assists. He shot 42.7 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from three-point range.

One of his best games came in a home overtime win against the Florida Gators on March 15, where he scored 14 points off the bench on four made three-pointers. He also grabbed six boards. In addition, Walters put up 16 points against South Alabama, 15 against the top-ranked Arizona Wildcats, and nine in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against the College of Charleston.

Walters’ biggest knock this past season was his defense, which kept him off the floor in some bigger spots despite his shooting prowess. Nonetheless, May has made a career out of building up the defense of big men, so Walters should be in good hands.

In high school, Walters averaged 24.6 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, winning the Daily Commercial Player of the Year and Tri-County Player of the Year.

Walters has three years of eligibility remaining in college.