Jaylen Mbakwe (born September 28, 2005)[1] is an American football cornerback for the Alabama Crimson Tide and is one of the top players in the 2024 class.
| Alabama Crimson Tide – No. 9 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Cornerback |
| Class | Freshman |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | September 28, 2005[1] Pinson, Alabama, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
|
| High school | Clay-Chalkville (Pinson, Alabama) |
High school career
editMbakwe attended Clay-Chalkville High School in Pinson, Alabama where he played football and ran track.[2] He entered his junior year with more than 60 scholarship offers.[3] That year he played as both a wide receiver and cornerback.[3] For his senior season, he moved to quarterback and led his team to an Alabama 6A title.[4] He rushed 148 times and recorded over 1,000 yards on the ground while accumulating 23 touchdowns.[4] He also passed for 2,007 yards and 20 TD, and was named MVP of the state championship game after throwing and rushing for 282 yards and 4 touchdowns.[5] Over the course of his high school career, he lined up as a receiver, running back, defensive back, kick/punt returner, and quarterback.[6][7] Following his senior season, Mbakwe earned a spot to play in the Under Armour All-America Game and also played in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game.[7]
A five-star recruit, Mbakwe committed to play college football at the University of Alabama over offers from Georgia, USC, LSU, and Notre Dame.[8]
Despite Nick Saban's retirement upon the conclusion of the 2023 season, Mbakwe remained firm in his commitment to Alabama.[9]
| College recruiting information (2024) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
| Jaylen Mbakwe CB |
Clay, Alabama | Clay-Chalkville | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Jul 26, 2022 | |
Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 92
| ||||||
References
edit- ^ a b Alvarez, Nick (September 29, 2023). "Alabama commit Jaylen Mbakwe celebrates birthday with 5 touchdowns, comeback win". AL.com. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ Schatz, Joe (April 25, 2023). "Recruiting Film Breakdown: Cornerback/Receiver Jaylen Mbakwe". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ a b Curran, Hannah (July 26, 2022). "Clay-Chalkville's Jaylen Mbakwe commits to Alabama". The Trussville Tribune. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ a b "Jaylen Mbakwe, Clay-Chalkville , Cornerback". 247Sports. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ Donaldson, Maxwell. "Why Alabama football five-star commit Jaylen Mbakwe switched to QB for senior season". The Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ Victory, Dennis (July 24, 2023). "Alabama commit Jaylen Mbakwe moves to quarterback for Clay-Chalkville". al. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ a b "Jaylen Mbakwe - Football". Alabama Athletics. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ "Jaylen Mbakwe - Football Recruiting - Player Profiles - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ Shelton, Hunter (January 29, 2024). "BREAKING: Alabama Crimson Tide signee named 5-star prospect in final recruiting rankings". On3. Retrieved April 12, 2024.