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Alabama celebrates Jaylen Mbakwe return with Ryan Williams in Fortnite-themed video

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh12/20/24griffin_mcveigh

Jaylen Mbakwe may have never officially left Alabama but it feels as if he’s returning to the program. For around 24 hours, the true freshman had intentions to enter the NCAA transfer portal and take his talent elsewhere. He then decided to stick with the Crimson Tide, making a lot of people in Tuscaloosa a whole lot happier.

This caused for celebration with one of Mbakwe’s good friends, Ryan Williams. The two linked up in Bryant-Denny Stadium but were not in their usual helmet and pads. No, they decided to grab a seat of their own and connect a Nintendo Switch to two of the stadium’s big screens.

With Epic Games going back to Fortnite OG, Mbakwe and Williams decided to run a few duo games together. Their first drop out of the Battle Bus saw them land at Tomato Town but unfortunately died off spawn. Williams blamed Mbakwe after apparently getting sniped.

Next was what they were going for the entire time — a Victory Royale. They started to jump around to celebrate and even Big Al was there for the moment. You can check out the full video Alabama posted here.

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Kalen DeBoer reveals conversation with Jaylen Mbakwe amid transfer saga

Before officially deciding to stay in Tuscaloosa, there was a conversation between head coach Kalen DeBoer and Mbakwe. DeBoer revealed what was discussed, saying the process was not complicated. Ultimately, the “love” Mbakwe has for Alabama is why he is not transferring.

“His conversation with me was that he wanted to come back. It’s not that complicated. The kid loves this place,” DeBoer said via Blake Byler of On3’s BOL. “… Some kids as they go through it realize what they want.”

Mbakwe played in all 12 games for Alabama this season as a cornerback. He recorded 15 tackles, a tackle for loss, two pass breakups, and even snagged an interception against Tennessee. Had the first-year player found himself on the open market, big-time programs would have been circling for his signature.