Mississippi State Bulldogs offensive lineman Jayvin James has committed to transfer to the Alabama Crimson Tide, On3 has learned. James previously played for the Akron Zips.
Jayvin James played his high school football at Blanche Ely in Pompano Beach, Florida. A three-star recruit in the Class of 2023, he was the 2,063rd-ranked player overall and the 149th-ranked offensive tackle in that recruiting cycle. Ultimately, he’d choose Akron over Bethune-Cookman and Alabama State.
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In 2023, James played in three games for the Zips. That allowed him to utilize his redshirt. It also set up his breakout season in 2024 with Akron, when he played in 12 games and made nine starts. That success would prompt him to enter the Transfer Portal. Initially, he landed at Maryland in the Winter. However, he transferred again in the Spring, landing in the SEC with Mississippi State.
2025 would prove to be James’ only season with the Bulldogs. He started 12 games for Mississippi State, only missing the opening game of the regular season. Nine of those starts came at the left tackle position. According to PFF, James would total 856 snaps, and in that time, he allowed just three sacks and committed just six penalties.
Mississippi State would go 5-8 on the season, making a bowl despite not getting to six wins. The Bulldogs would also go 1-7 in SEC play.
Now, James is set to join the Alabama Crimson Tide. Alabama finished ranked No. 9 in the last AP Poll of the season. That was on the back of an 11-4 season that saw the Crimson Tide play for an SEC Championship and go to the College Football Playoff. There, Alabama would win a game before losing to the eventual national champion, Indiana.
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Alabama has been very active in the Transfer Portal this cycle. That includes 23 players who have exited the program. Among them are six different offensive linemen, including three offensive tackles. Meanwhile, the Crimson Tide have already added five offensive linemen to replace those outgoing transfers. Jayvin James is going to make for a sixth lineman entering the program.
There have been several changes made to the Transfer Portal ahead of this offseason. The winter window was moved from December to January, with it closing to enter on January 16th. There is also no longer a spring window for players to move to a new school.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
