Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Mbakwe is entering the transfer portal.
Mbakwe revealed his decision to On3’s Hayes Fawcett on Friday. A local kid, Mbakwe signed with Alabama out of the 2024 class and appeared in 22 games across his first 2 seasons. He’ll have 3 years to play 2 at his next school.
The move comes just a few weeks after Mbakwe responded “definitely not” to questions about rumors he would enter the portal.
It’s a blow, to be certain. Teams don’t want to lose 5-star talents. But a fresh start might serve Mbakwe well. After spending his freshman season on the defensive side of the football, Mbakwe made the move from defensive back to receiver and struggled to get on the field.
He saw 19 offensive snaps against Eastern Illinois in Week 13. He saw 9 snaps against Louisiana Monroe in Week 2. He was on the field when Alabama had the ball for just 3 snaps in all other games.
Most of Mbakwe’s work this season came on special teams, where he was a regular on punt return and punt coverage units.
In 2024, Mbakwe saw more than 200 snaps on defense, finishing the season with 15 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 3 pass breakups, and an interception. He converted to wide receiver prior to Alabama’s bowl game.
Mbakwe was a priority recruit, and a sought-after one at that. He ranked as the No. 12 prospect in the country, earning 5-star status in the 247 Composite. Mbakwe also took an official visit to Auburn during his initial recruitment and, given Auburn’s receiver room clearing out after the coaching change, the Tigers could get involved again.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
