Alabama DB Working at WR During Bowl Practice

The Crimson Tide traveled to Tampa, Florida for its bowl game against the Michigan Wolverines on Thursday, December 26, and the first practice took place at Berkley High School on Friday morning.

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While Alabama did not see any new faces during the first bowl practice of game week, it did see a player participating in new drills, with defensive back Jaylen Mbakwe sporting a new number to go along with his new position.

Mbakwe practiced at wide receiver during Alabama's media viewing portion of practice and was wearing No. 6, a contrast to the No. 9 he wore during his freshman season at Alabama.

Mbakwe briefly entered his name in the transfer portal before announcing his return to Alabama.

Contributing to his decision to return to Alabama is Mbakwe getting reps at wide receiver, switching from the defensive back position that he played during his previous 12 games at Alabama during the regular season.

Mbakwe played on offense during his high school tenure, leading Clay-Chalkville to a 6A State Championship during his senior season in Fall 2023.

It is unclear if Mbakwe's move to offense is full-time, but the number switch would indicate Mbakwe is set to see significant snaps on offense. He had to switch numbers because Alabama running back Richard Young also wears No. 9.

Wyatt Fulton is the TIde 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.