TAMPA − Jaylen Mbakwe 's move from cornerback to wide receiver, for the ReliaQuest Bowl alone, makes total sense.
Making that switch permanent doesn't.
Not for Alabama football , nor for its promising freshman. But UA coach Kalen DeBoer hinted strongly in a news conference on Monday that the former five-star recruit will indeed stay at receiver beyond Tuesday's bowl game against Michigan . It might not be a certainty yet, but it's apparently, at least, the tentative plan.
"I think you'll see us continue to move in this direction with him," DeBoer said.
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In the short-term, Alabama 's hand has been forced. Four wide receivers entered the NCAA's winter transfer portal and left UA with only four scholarship players at the position to prepare for the Wolverines. Taking an elite athlete like Mbakwe out of a backup job at cornerback and placing him in a more prominent role at receiver, where he could easily make a bigger impact in the bowl game, is a no-brainer.
Long-term, the Crimson Tide defense would lose a potential star at a premium position. Mbakwe has a crazy-high ceiling as a cover man, and good corners are far harder to find than good receivers. He didn't command a starting cornerback job as a true freshman like fellow 2024 signee Zabien Brown did, but sometimes even the very best cornerbacks take time to develop. At Alabama, Terrion Arnold would be one very recent example. Word from the practice field this fall was that Mbakwe's development at corner was tracking nicely.
Corners who can lock down an opposing offense's top receiver are absolutely indispensable, both at the college level, and even more so in the NFL. Which is why the move might not serve Mbakwe when it comes to his NFL draft value, as well. Draft-worthy cornerback prospects must possess a very specific skill set, with little room for deficiencies, and Mbakwe has it. Wide receivers come in all sizes, with a wide variance in skills that can translate to multiple receiving roles the pros. Bigger receivers can get away with being a step slower, faster ones can get away with being a bit smaller, and so on. As such, they come a little cheaper on draft day.
Mbakwe hasn't spoken publicly on the move. Did he leverage a long-term switch to receiver as part of his transfer two-step earlier this month? That's a perfectly natural question in the wake of his Dec. 16 announcement that he would enter the portal, followed by a change of heart in less than 24 hours. At the least, it would make no sense for him to withdraw his name from the portal if he was at all reticent about a move to receiver.
There's also the possibility that he could continue developing on both sides of the ball, taking the path of Colorado Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter , although doing so brings the risk of failing to reach his full potential at both spots.
DeBoer suggested that Mbakwe's performance at receiver in bowl practices made it apparent that a more permanent move could be a good one. He's got some background at the position from a decorated high school career, and could potentially make a dynamic pairing with UA star receiver Ryan Williams . I'm not suggesting Mbakwe won't make a good receiver. After all, it's an easier position to play than corner, as long as he's got the hands to catch the ball consistently.
But if this move turns out to be permanent, it could be costly if a future Alabama defense finds itself vulnerable at one of the most valued positions in the sport.
Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23. Reach him at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on X.com @chasegoodbread.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Why Alabama football's Jaylen Mbakwe shouldn't move to WR permanently
