Following a promising freshman season at cornerback, former 5-star Jaylen Mbakwe surprised many by entering the Transfer Portal in December. Rumors swirled about a seven-figure offer from an SEC program (coughOle Misscough), but the main impetus for his decision seemed to be a power play with the coaching staff. Mbakwe's ultimatum to return to Tuscaloosa: he wanted to change positions from corner to wide receiver.
The staff agreed, and Mbakwe spent bowl practices at wide receiver and saw a little bit of playing time in the ReliaQuest Bowl as the Tide's depth at WR was decimated with injuries and portal entries.
Mbakwe's decision to switch positions is a curious one. He saw playing time as a freshman at CB, and would be in the mix for more this season despite Alabama's depth in the defensive backfield. He will face an uphill battle at WR to get on the field, and the clock is ticking as he enters his second season of college football.
Mbakwe has never played WR, so the position is totally new for him. He was a QB in high school at Clay-Chalkville. Now, he's thrown away an entire year of development in the DB room to try his hand at a new position.
Mbakwe is a tremendous athlete; it's why he was rated as a 5-star in the 2024 recruiting class. He has the ability to be a difference-maker with the ball in his hands, but his athletic advantages aren't as prominent in college as they were in high school, and he has no technical refinement as a WR yet.
Mbakwe is facing an uphill battle to playing time at WR
Alabama's starting wide receivers for 2025 are obvious: Ryan Williams, Germie Bernard, and Isaiah Horton. Those three seem locked in. That means the competition for playing time starts at WR4, and Mbakwe seems well behind fellow second-year player Rico Scott, who has received a ton of praise from coaches and former players this offseason.
Scott seems positioned to be the No. 4 option in the WR room in 2025. After that, there's no guarantee that Mbakwe is fifth in line, either. Returning from injury are a couple of players who have seen plenty of playing time in their careers already: Jalen Hale and Cole Adams. They would likely slot ahead of the former 5-star, too.
Then there's freshmen Lotzeir Brooks and Derek Meadows. Brooks, in particular, has opened eyes this offseason, and many expect him to carve out an immediate role on the offense.
Mbakwe doesn't seem likely to see much playing time at WR in 2025. He might factor in as a kick/punt returner so he can see the field, but any snaps he gets at WR that don't come in garbage time would be a surprise as things currently stand.
That might not be any different in 2026, either. Germie Bernard will exhaust his eligibility after this season, and Isaiah Horton surely hopes to parlay one strong season with the Crimson Tide into early entry into the 2026 NFL Draft. The Tide will surely lose a WR or two to the Transfer Portal, but even if Mbakwe isn't one of them, Alabama will return Ryan Williams for his junior season, along with young WRs in Scott, Brooks, and Meadows.
And that doesn't include Alabama's plan to sign three WRs in the 2026 recruiting class. The Tide holds commitments currently from 5-star Cederian Morgan, and 3-stars Owen Cabell and Brian Williams.
Playing time at CB wouldn't have come any easier, but Mbakwe had a leg up with a year of development at the position and flashed his potential there as a true freshman. Now, he's starting from scratch.
Guys of Mbakwe's athletic caliber come to college with a three-year plan in mind. They want to get to the NFL as quickly as possible. He'll have to be more patient than he initially planned, but the clock is ticking. If he sits the bench this year like most expect, he'll have to see a path to starting in 2026, or he could be back in the portal for a second straight offseason.