Two more Alabama football players plan to enter the transfer portal, highlighted by former five-star freshman defensive lineman Jaylen Mbakwe, who announced his decision on Monday. Wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. also plans to enter the portal, according to a source briefed on the situation. The expected departures of Mbakwe and Henderson bring the total number of Alabama transfers since the winter window opened to 12. There are two more weeks left in that window.

Meanwhile, tight end Danny Lewis Jr. withdrew his name from the portal on Monday and will return.

Mbakwe’s transfer decision is one of the most remarkable and surprising developments of this time. The No. 12 overall player in the 2024 class is an Alabama native who was committed to the Tide for nearly two years, starting in July 2022 before enrolling in January 2024. He has a close relationship with fellow freshman Ryan Williams and was a key component in his re-recruitment to Alabama. Mbakwe was a consistent rotation player at cornerback, playing in 10 of 12 games with a total of 12 tackles and one interception. He was also used as a punt returner.

Also a former five-star recruit from the class of 2022, Henderson was a spot rotation player at wide receiver this season, totaling four catches for 82 yards while also serving as the team’s primary kick returner.

Who are the other transfers?

QB Dylan Lonergan
WR Kendrick Law
WR Caleb Odom
WR Kobe Prentice
OL Naquil Betrand
DL Jehiem Oatis
DL Hunter Osborne
LB Keanu Koht (Vanderbilt)
DB Jahlil Hurley (Kansas)
DB DeVonta Smith (Notre Dame)

What do the expected departures of Mbakwe and Henderson mean in the short and long term?

Mbakwe’s departure adds another player to the secondary, DeVonta Smith, who will miss the upcoming ReliaQuest Bowl. Starter Domani Jackson has an NFL Draft decision to make, and should he enter, Mbakwe would have been the favorite to replace him over Zabien Brown. In the long term, the loss of an athlete of Mbakwe’s caliber is a major loss for the future of Alabama’s secondary. However, it should be noted that Alabama has recruited very well for the position in the last two recruiting classes.

Henderson’s expected departure is more of a short-term setback. Alabama will only have four healthy wide receivers for the bowl game: Williams, Germie Bernard, Rico Scott and Jaren Hamilton. In the long term, the space should be respectable in 2025.

The return of Williams and Bernard in 2025 as the two leading receivers is big. Cole Adams showed promise before his season-ending injury, as did Jalen Hale in 2023 before his season-ending injury in spring training. Additionally, there are several newcomers and newbies who would see larger roles next season. Alabama has been active in the transfer portal in seeking veteran support, so that space should be revamped before January.

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(Photo: Gary Cosby Jr. / USA Today)