The Transfer Portal hits keep coming for Alabama football. On Monday night, the biggest blow thus far might have been delivered.
Freshman CB and former 5-star in-state recruit Jaylen Mbakwe filed the paperwork to enter the NCAA's Transfer Portal. Rumors were swirling throughout the day that his portal entry was imminent due to a 7-figure offer from another school. If true, it's hard to blame the kid for entering the portal, and it's hard to blame Kalen DeBoer or the Alabama staff for not matching such a lucrative offer for a talented, yet unproven player.
Mbakwe saw a good bit of playing time in Alabama's secondary as a freshman and on special teams as a punt returner and gunner. He wasn't a starter, but he's a player with a lot of potential and figured to be a key depth piece for next season and a potential starter depending on Domani Jackson's pending NFL Draft decision.
Mbakwe was committed to Alabama for a long time and stuck it out amid the coaching change in January. He was a big reason the Crimson Tide were able to reel back in Ryan Williams, who initially decommitted from Alabama following Nick Saban's retirement.
Williams and Mbakwe are close friends and launched a podcast together during their respective freshmen seasons in Tuscaloosa called "New Wave."
The big NIL offer would be enticing for Mbakwe, as well as the rumor that whatever school made it is pitching him the prospect of playing both ways. With a two-way player in Travis Hunter just winning the Heisman Trophy and spending the last two seasons as one of the faces of college football, it's obvious why that prospect would be appealing.
Mbakwe is the 14th Alabama player currently in the Transfer Portal and the third defensive back, joining Jahil Hurley, who committed to Kansas, and DeVonta Smith, who committed to Notre Dame.