Jaylen Mbakwe’s return to cornerback at Georgia Tech comes with a different kind of edge. After two seasons at Alabama and 22 games under his belt, he’s back on defense in the Flats, and this time the assignment is bigger: start, lead, and bring some of the lessons he picked up as a receiver with him.
Mbakwe’s path to this point has already been a winding one. As a freshman at Alabama, he worked on the defensive side and on special teams.
Last season, he shifted to offense while still remaining one of the team’s top special teams contributors. Now he’s back where he began, but with a broader perspective that Georgia Tech is counting on.
One of the biggest reasons the adjustment has gone smoothly is familiarity. Mbakwe has known Coach Kobie Jones since his Alabama days, and that connection gave him a head start once he arrived.
“We kind of locked in as soon as I got here. The transition was an easy one for Bak with the Jackets using similar terminology to what he was used to at Alabama.
“It was pretty easy to adapt to him in those things.”
That comfort has shown up in how Mbakwe has handled himself around the team, too. He made it a point to spend time with the corners and safeties when he got to Georgia Tech, using his personality to help build trust and communication. For him, the off-field connection matters just as much as what happens on the field.
“Going out and having fun off the field and you know not having football things just talking about life and other things like that. I think that's the biggest thing for me when I got here.”
In Other News...
Georgia Tech Fall Camp Buzz Is Building Around 4 Potential Breakouts
With fall camp nearing its finish, Georgia Tech has plenty to sort through, and a small group of players has begun to separate itself in the conversation about who might matter most once the season starts. Roche Jr., Mendoza, Daiquan White, and Fuhrmann have all drawn attention for the way theyve handled their work in camp, giving the Yellow Jackets a handful of names to watch as the staff tries to identify who is ready for a larger role.
Each of those players has spoken about what the coming season could ask of him, and that kind of confidence is part of what has made this stretch interesting. The buzz is real enough to suggest Georgia Tech may have found some emerging contributors, but camp talk only goes so far, and the unanswered question is which of these performances will translate when the games begin. [Read more 🡒]
Daiquan White Is Suddenly A Bigger Georgia Tech Story Than Expected
Daiquan White entered Georgia Tech last season as a transfer from Eastern Michigan and settled into the secondary well enough to appear in 11 games, finishing with 16 tackles and two tackles for loss. As he heads into his second year in the program, the cornerback is no longer just a depth piece trying to find his footing. With key departures creating openings, White is now in position to become a much bigger part of the Yellow Jackets' defense than anyone might have projected a year ago.
White has already pointed to coaches Kobie Jones and Jason Semore as major reasons for his progress, crediting them with helping him sharpen his understanding of the scheme and improve overall. That kind of development matters now because Georgia Tech needs reliable answers in the secondary, and White's next step could be one of the more important internal storylines on the roster. The opportunity is there. The question is how quickly he turns last season's supporting role into something more substantial. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Techs ACC Push May Hinge On These Crucial Duos
As Georgia Tech wraps up fall camp and turns its attention to the season opener against Colorado, there is a growing sense that the Yellow Jackets next step in the ACC race will be shaped as much by chemistry as by talent. The staff has pointed to three player pairings it believes could help define the season, starting with running backs Justice Haynes and Malachi Hosley, whose presence gives the backfield a chance to stay fresh and versatile.
The same idea carries over to the perimeter and the secondary, where wide receivers Jordan Allen and Fuhrmann are expected to help stretch the offense, while cornerbacks Jonas Duclona and Jaylen Mbakwe give the defense a duo to build around. Georgia Tech does not need every one of those pairings to become a headline, but if even a couple of them click early, the Jackets could have a much clearer path through the kind of conference grind that usually rewards depth and balance. [Read more 🡒]