Jaylen Mbakwe made the switch from defensive back to wide receiver towards the end of the 2024 football season, and he has continued to improve as a wideout despite not playing much this season, according to Kalen DeBoer.
Mbakwe has seen a bulk of his playing time on special teams this season. He has lined up at wide receiver in three games this season, and some of those snaps were meaningful ones as he appeared on offense against Florida State and Vanderbilt. The former five-star missed a couple of games with a hand injury but returned to contribute on special teams against South Carolina.