Alabama Legacy Defensive Back No Longer With Crimson Tide

Alabama defensive back Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. has been dismissed from the Crimson Tide, per head coach Kalen DeBoer.

“After gathering more information on the situation, Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. will no longer be a part of our program," DeBoer said in a press release. "He did not live up to the standards and expectations that I have set for this team and our players."

90 minutes before kickoff against Texas A&M, Kirkpatrick was declared "out" on the SEC availability report despite not appearing on it throughout the week. It was announced shortly after the report went live that he was suspended for a team rules violation. The junior was arrested Friday on misdemeanor charges of harassing communications and doxing.

This was Kirkpatrick's second suspension in as many years, and the latter ties to the former. Kirkpatrick was put under investigation by the University of Alabama on Nov. 2, 2025, after being charged with three counts of reckless endangerment, one count of attempting to elude and speeding. He was "indefinitely suspended" by DeBoer one day later, and he never played during the remainder of last season, including the SEC Championship and the College Football Playoff.

University of Alabama Police Department officer Christopher Fuerch, someone who was involved in that 2025 traffic stop, reported on Oct. 20 that he received a Facebook message from Kirkpatrick that read, “Ayy b— a— n—, Text me back don’t be no b—!," per documents obtained by WBRC and The Tuscaloosa Thread.

Fuerch was about to block Kirkpatrick on Facebook after seeing the message, but then he found a photograph of his family on Kirkpatrick's page with the caption, “Dis him?” Fuerch said it caused “severe concern for the overall safety and well-being of himself and his family."

Kirkpatrick is an Alabama legacy. He is the son of the former All-American and NFL standout Dre Kirkpatrick Sr. The former first-round NFL Draft pick played at UA from 2009-11, helping the Crimson Tide to its first two National Championship victories of the Nick Saban era. Kirkpatrick Sr. played in the NFL for 10 years, including eight with the Cincinnati Bengals.

DeBoer said on Monday that Kirkpatrick Jr. is "not with us," and that there were "still some details that I'm trying to understand." Now that the details have been revealed, Kirkpatrick Jr. has already been removed from the roster.

Kirkpatrick Jr., a 5-foot-11, 202-pounder, played some key snaps in close games this season, despite not being a starter. He was listed on the depth chart as the backup strong safety, behind starter Keon Sabb.

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