Alabama Standout Freshman Cornerback Entering Transfer Portal

Jaylen Mbakwe is a surprising subtraction from the Crimson Tide's 2025 roster considering he was a starter this season.

Alabama Defensive Back Jaylen Mbakwe (9) during warm ups against Auburn at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, AL on Saturday, Nov 30, 2024. / Photo by Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics

Alabama freshman cornerback Jaylen Mbakwe entered the transfer portal on Monday, per On3's Hayes Fawcett. Mbakwe also released a statement via his Instagram.

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Mbakwe was a starter at Alabama as a true freshman––a status not many have held. In 11 games, he logged 15 tackles, including one for loss, an interception and two pass breakups. Opposing quarterbacks didn't target receivers that Mbakwe was shadowing very often.

Mbakwe is the 14th player to enter the transfer portal, following quarterback Dylan Lonergan, running back Justice Haynes, defensive linemen Jeheim Oatis and Hunter Osborne, edge rusher Keanu Koht, cornerbacks Jahlil Hurley and DeVonta Smith, wide receivers Kobe Prentice, Caleb Odom, Kendrick Law and Emmanuel Henderson Jr., offensive linemen Miles McVay and Naquil Betrand. Tight end Danny Lewis Jr. also entered the portal on Dec. 9, but withdrew his name from it on Monday.

The 5-foot-11, 192-pounder out of Clay-Chalkville in Clay, Ala., was rated as a 5-star recruit and ranked as the consensus No. 16 prospect nationally, the No. 2 cornerback in the class of 2024 and the No. 3 player in the state of Alabama at the time of his commitment on July 26, 2022.

Across all recruiting sites, Mbakwe only had a couple of athletes ranked ahead of him in the state of Alabama, one of which being Crimson Tide wide receiver Ryan Williams. Mbakwe and Williams faced each other in the 2023 6A state championship game with the cornerback coming out on top.

Mbakwe and Williams gained the narrative of not only being two freshman standouts at Alabama but in the country even before the college football season began. This young duo also launched a podcast called "New Wave" where Mbakwe and Williams discussed life on and off the field as student-athletes, and hosted conversations with former Alabama football legends and current stars in early September.

The transfer portal officially opened on Monday, Dec. 9 and will close on Thursday, Dec. 28. The spring portal window still exists and opens on Wednesday, April 16 and closes on Friday, April 25.

Read More: 2025 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Offseason Tracker: Coming and Going

Alabama's Top Positions of Need in Transfer Portal