Is Jaylen Mbakwe’s move to WR permanent for Alabama football? What Kalen DeBoer said

Is Jaylen Mbakwe’s move to WR permanent for Alabama football? What Kalen DeBoer said

During the week of the ReliaQuest Bowl, Alabama football’s Jaylen Mbakwe stepped into a new role. On Monday, Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer said the freshman transition to wide receiver will likely continue moving forward.

DeBoer was asked about the change Monday during a coaches press conference before Tuesday’s bowl.

“I think you’ll see us continue to go in that direction with him,” DeBoer said. “He was really focused on offense, really focused on bowl preparation. It was, of course, No. 1 because of the numbers, but No. 2 just because I think about what he can do as a football player.”

Mbakwe announced his intention to enter the transfer portal as soon as it opened after the end of the regular season, describing the move as a “business decision” in a social media post. However, less than 24 hours later, he changed his mind and decided to return to Alabama.

Before joining the Crimson Tide as a five-star prospect, he played on both sides of the ball for Clay-Chalkville. He contributed an interception and 15 tackles as a cornerback for UA in 2024 and also returned punts.

“He definitely has the skills,” DeBoer said. “Really excited to see what he can do for us there in that position. He has the speed. He had the ball in his hands throughout high school and ran the offense there at that level, and then we used him in the punt return game, the return games, so we’re really happy with what he did can bring into the game table. Now it’s just a matter of learning the position and the attack.”

Besides Mbakwe, Alabama only has four scholarship players left for Tuesday’s game due to transfer portal entries and injuries. These include Ryan Williams, Germie Bernard, Jaren Hamilton and Rico Scott.

Alabama and Michigan will open the ReliaQuest Bowl on Tuesday at 11 a.m. CT at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

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