Jaylen Mbakwe will be moving on after all.
The former five-star prospect and Clay-Chalkville star will enter the transfer portal, he told On3.
The transfer portal opened Friday and will remain open until Jan. 16, what is the lone portal window.
In late December, Mbakwe was asked if it’s true he will enter the transfer portal.
“Nah,” Mbakwe said. “Definitely not.”
Mbakwe switched to receiver ahead of the ReliaQuest Bowl last year after spending most of 2024 at defensive back. He was primarily a backup receiver in 2025 but has helped on special teams and some in the return game. Mbakwe, a sophomore, has tallied three receptions for 55 yards.
Mbakwe was the No. 3 player in the state and the No. 12 player in the country in the 2024 recruiting class, per the 247Sports Composite.
Mbakwe originally planned to enter the transfer portal a season ago before he changed his decision to stay with the Crimson Tide.
Mbakwe is the latest Alabama player to put his name in the portal or announce intentions to do so. Earlier Friday, running back Richard Young did the same. Prior to the Rose Bowl, Bubba Hampton, Kameron Howard and Roq Montgomery announced their
