In one of Alabama’s biggest portal wins of the winter session, cornerback Jaylen Mbakwe pulled out of the transfer portal, opting to stay with the Crimson Tide.
Along with his decision came a report from On3 Pete Nakos that Mbakwe is seeking snaps on the offensive side of the ball, in what is assumed would be a Travis Hunter-style role, playing both wide receiver and cornerback.
A source indicates to @On3sports that Jaylen Mbakwe is seeking some snaps on the offensive side of the ball, too. https://t.co/ghMnLHmyBv
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) December 17, 2024
Before I go into the old man rant about two-way players being good at both positions and not great at either one, let me say that I love the idea of Alabama having the next Travis Hunter. A guy who puts up solid numbers on both sides of the ball and makes electric plays all over the field. But, I have my doubts about the feasibility of being a two-way player at the SEC level.
First off, it’s hard to develop a good two-way player. Travis Hunter is an exceptional athlete. A five-star recruit out of the state of Georgia, the top cornerback in the nation and the state, according to 247Sports. Hunter also had the natural athleticism that when he was recruited, it was speculated he could be one of the top recruits at cornerback or wide receiver.
“A generational type of talent. Legitimately, CB1 and WR1 for the class of 2022. Makes everything he does look extremely easy. Smooth. Explosive. Competitive.” 247Sports director of Scouting Andrew Ivins said of Hunter.
It’s easy to look at the hype around Hunter and imagine he came in and was an instant two-way star. But missed is that Hunter got the benefit of starting his career at Jackson State.
Hunter’s freshman year, he had 18 receptions, 190 yards, and four touchdowns to go along with 19 tackles, eight passes defended, and two interceptions. Solid numbers, but nothing that exactly explodes off the page.
Hunter posted these numbers as a five-star recruit at the SWAC level, where he automatically outclassed most of the athletes he played around while also having a future first-round draft pick playing quarterback for him. In 2022, Jackson State posted a 12-1 record, going a perfect 8-0 in SWAC play, but they didn't play a single opponent from the FBS level.
Hunter’s natural athleticism, working against a lower level of talent, gave him time to develop and learn and make the adjustment to college ball. He got the opportunity to learn the little things about playing corner and wide receiver while playing lower competition. Mbakwe won’t have that opportunity playing in the SEC.
Should Mbakwe become a two-way guy, his snap count would increase, he would have to learn the offensive and defensive systems and schemes, and he would have to do it while playing a difficult 2025 Alabama schedule.
It’s also important to note, with Hunter as the model two-way player right now, that he was really good at both his positions once he transferred to Colorado, but he wasn’t the best player in the country at either position.
Looking at the argument against Hunter for Heisman. Yes, he played both sides of the ball, and that is cool and difficult. But he wasn’t the top player at either of his positions. The last time a wide receiver won the Heisman Trophy, Devonta Smith had 117 catches for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns. Hunter had 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns. When Charles Woodsen won his Heisman, he had seven interceptions and made a huge impact in the kick return game; Hunter had four and wasn’t the top guy in tackles or passes defended at the cornerback position.
Despite the arguments against it, there are some clear benefits both to the team and individually should Mbakwe start playing both sides of the ball.
For the Crimson Tide as a whole, having a two-way player could help alleviate some potential depth issues for the Crimson Tide at the receiver spot. Looking at our Bama Hammer transfer portal tracker, the Crimson Tide currently has four wide receivers in the transfer portal. While the Crimson Tide will pick up some depth with the most recent signing class and the transfer portal, it can’t hurt to add another playmaker, especially if it’s a guy who is already there.
Having the next two-way superstar could also help with Alabama’s viewership. The novelty of seeing a two-way guy who makes huge plays certainly helped pull Colorado more into the spotlight.
For Mbakwe, it could also be a good business decision. According to On3’s NIL trackers, only three cornerbacks placed in the top 100 earners in NIL in 2024, and only five defensive backs total made the list. Travis Hunter (No.2), Will Johnson (No.69), and Trey Amos (No.93). Outside of that, only two more defensive backs make the list, Caleb Downs and Shilo Sanders. Comparatively, there are five wide receivers in the top 50 highest NIL earners.
Hunter, the lone two-way player, is projected to have brought in 5.2 million in NIL dollars and, according to Deion Sanders Jr., is even paying the NIL deals of 10-15 other guys on the roster.
"He’s paying at least 10-15 guys' NIL on the team"Deion Sanders Jr. on the Zero2SixtyPod
There are benefits to both sides of the coin here, but to be honest, I’d rather see Mbakwe develop into a next-level corner than the next Travis Hunter.
In 2024, Mbakwe posted 15 tackles, one interception, two passes defended, and a ProFootballFocus coverage grade of 68.6. The coverage grade was No. 9 on the team, Mbakwe had the 2nd highest reception percentage among Alabama corners per ProFootballFocus, allowing 13 catches on 17 targets; his one pass broken up is No.17 on the team, and his one interception ties him for No. 7 on the team.
Mbakwe is good, and there will be a novelty to seeing him play both sides of the ball, but this is Alabama, where you come to be the best and win National Titles. Not be a novelty player to help get butts in seats.