According to On3’s Hayes Fawcett, Alabama freshman cornerback Jaylen Mbakwe entered the transfer portal on Monday.

Mbakwe was a starter at Alabama as a true freshman, a status not many had. In 11 games, he recorded 15 tackles, including one for loss, one interception and two pass breakups. The opposing quarterbacks did not target receivers, who Mbakwe often shadowed.

Mbakwe is the 14th player to enter the transfer portal, joining 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 and 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 on Monday.

The 5-foot-11, 192-pounder from Clay-Chalkville in Clay, Alabama, was rated as a 5-star recruit and ranked as the consensus No. 16 prospect nationally and the No. 2 cornerback in the class of 2024 and the No. 1 player .3 in the state of Alabama at the time of his commitment on July 26, 2022.

On all recruiting sites, Mbakwe only had a few athletes ahead of him at Alabama State, including Crimson Tide wide receiver Ryan Williams. Mbakwe and Williams faced off in the 2023 6A state championship game, with the cornerback coming out on top.

Even before the start of the college football season, Mbakwe and Williams earned reputations as two outstanding freshmen not only in Alabama, but also in the country. 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 had conversations with former Alabama football legends and current stars in early September.

The transfer portal officially opened on Monday, December 9th and will close on Thursday, December 28th. The Spring Portal window remains open and opens on Wednesday, April 16th and closes on Friday, April 25th.

Read more: 2025 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Offseason Tracker: Comings and Goings

Alabama’s top positions of need in the transfer portal