DeBoer Talks Mbakwe's Development at WR

In December, Alabama defensive back Jaylen Mbakwe switched positions to wide receiver, joining his friend and freshman superstar Ryan Williams in that room. After Mbakwe switched to receiver, Alabama added Miami transfer Isaiah Horton and two freshmen in Lotzeir Brooks and Derek Meadows.

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The room is loaded with talent, but Mbakwe continues to make good plays, according to head coach Kalen DeBoer on Sunday.

“He’s had a couple - more so right now than the summer - Bak’s made some nice plays here," DeBoer said. "He’s actually gotten practice kicked off in a good way from an offensive standpoint with some big plays early on. So again, growth happening. It’s fun, it’s great to see.

"I feel like any player, you’re always looking - can you trust him to get lined up? Can you trust him to do his job? Those are really things that I’m not worried about with Bak, so now it’s just getting comfortable more and more with the offense and the timing, and working with the guys around him. That growth I would hope for is what I’m seeing."

Mbakwe played in 12 games for Alabama last season as a defensive back, totaling 15 tackles, one tackle for loss, two pass breakups, and one interception. He switched positions to wide receiver for Alabama's bowl game, but did not catch a pass.

Now, he hopes to crack a deep rotation at wide receiver as he enters his second year with the program.

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_.