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Is it true Jaylen Mbakwe will enter transfer portal? 'Definitely not,' he says

1918632_10206777287683070_1367905321192383146_nby: Charlie Potter12/24/25Charlie_Potter

Is it true Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Mbakwe will enter the transfer portal? The sophomore was asked that at his “Hometown Christmas Takeover” charity event over the weekend.

“Definitely not,” Mbakwe told Austin Duncan Media.

Mbakwe has appeared in nine games for Alabama this season. He made the move to receiver during the Crimson Tide’s postseason prep last year, after playing cornerback as a freshman in 2024. This fall, Mbakwe has caught three passes for 55 yards in his second year.

Before making the move to wideout, Mbakwe planned on entering the transfer portal, but he had a change of heart and stayed in Tuscaloosa. “Here to Stay,” he told On3’s Hayes Fawcett.

“Just because I feel like it’s a place I wanted to be,” Mbakwe told Duncan of his decision to remain at Alabama this time last year. “It was home. Roll Tide.”

Mbakwe is a former 5-star recruit who signed with Alabama as part of the 2024 class. As a true freshman last season, Mbakwe played in 12 of the Tide’s 13 games. He was part of Alabama’s cornerback rotation early on and recorded 15 tackles, two pass breakups and one interception. He got reps on offense in the ReliaQuest Bowl but did not catch a pass in Tampa.

The Tide will lose only one wide receiver to graduation this offseason, as Germie Bernard is out of eligibility. Isaiah Horton will have an NFL draft decision to make. UA signed one wide receiver during the 2026 recruiting cycle, as in-state 5-star Cederian Morgan has arrived early.

Mbakwe and Alabama are currently in the College Football Playoff. After beating Oklahoma in the first round, the Crimson Tide advanced to the quarterfinals, where it will face Indiana.

The transfer portal window is set to open January 2 and remain open until January 16.

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