| Jaylen Mbakwe | |
| School: | Alabama Crimson Tide |
| Currentnumber: | 9 |
| Currentposition: | Cornerback |
| Class: | Freshman |
| Birth Date: | 28 September 2005[1] |
| Birth Place: | Clay, Alabama |
| Heightft: | 5 |
| Heightin: | 11 |
| Weight Lb: | 170 |
| Highschool: | Clay-Chalkville (Pinson, Alabama) |
| Pastschools: |
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Jaylen Mbakwe (born September 28, 2005) is an American football cornerback for the Alabama Crimson Tide and is one of the top players in the 2024 class.
Mbakwe 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. 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. 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.
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] |}