Georgia Tech may have landed its biggest defensive swing of the portal era in Jaylen Mbakwe.
The Yellow Jackets already added five-star offensive lineman Josh Petty in the 2025 class, but Mbakwe gives them something just as valuable on the other side of the ball: a former five-star cornerback with the kind of pedigree that changes the feel of a secondary. He arrives from Alabama after starring at Clay-Chalkville in high school, where he was ranked the No. 2 cornerback, the No. 4 player in Alabama and the No. 12 player nationally.
His comparison was Stephon Gilmore, and his résumé backed it up. Mbakwe won two state championships, and in one of them he earned 6A MVP honors after throwing for 152 yards and rushing for 130 yards in a 2023 win over Saraland.
That background matters because Georgia Tech is bringing in a player who was once viewed as one of the best talents in the country, not just a promising addition. The move to the Flats gives Mbakwe a fresh start at the position where he built his name: cornerback.
In spring work, he wasted no time flashing why he carried that kind of reputation. He was around the football constantly in scrimmages, held his ground on his side of the field and added a pass deflection in the spring game.
He is now positioned to start this season, and cornerbacks coach Kolbie Jones made it clear how much of a priority Mbakwe was once he entered the portal.
“So, when Bach got in the portal, obviously, I needed him, right? Because we have a great relationship.
I've been recruiting him since I was at IMG. Obviously, he didn't come down to IMG with me, but it's actually a funny story.
So, obviously, I was recruiting my IMG. He never comes.
I go to Alabama, and he texts me. He's like looked like I recruited you because he was already committed to Alabama at the same time.
We have a great relationship, man. Obviously, like when he got in the portal, it was priority number one to me to get him because I know the talent he has, and I know what he can bring to this team, not only on the field, but just the energy he brings.
He always has a smile on his face. He has great energy.
He uplifts everybody in the room every time he steps in the room. So, that was a no-brainer for me,” said Jones.
For Georgia Tech, the appeal goes beyond the highlight plays. Mbakwe can help raise the ceiling of the entire cornerback room in 2026 because he brings the kind of outside shutdown ability the Yellow Jackets have been missing.
He is not just a ball hawk, either. He tackles well, especially in space, which makes him even more useful in a defense that needs steadiness on the perimeter.
That is why his arrival feels so important. Georgia Tech has given up too many big plays in coverage in recent years, especially at cornerback, and Mbakwe gives them a real chance to tighten that up.
If he comes close to the player he was in high school, the Yellow Jackets should be much stronger against the pass. For Mbakwe, it is a chance to show that the talent was always there.
Now he gets the right setting to put it on display.
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