Alabama legacy DB shakes back from suspension

Photo comes via Alabama athletics

Alabama football had several interesting storylines throughout spring practice, but an underrated one was in its defensive secondary.

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A legacy defensive back for the Crimson Tide made a mistake late in the 2025 season, but he shook it off and returned with huge plays in spring ball.

Dre Kirkpatrick Jr., an Alabama native, enters his third season with the program. He got into some off-field trouble; however, his family seems to have him back on the right track. Kirkpatrick’s father, Dre Kirkpatrick Sr., was a two-time BCS National Champion and a first-team All-American (2011) cornerback under Nick Saban.

The young Kirkpatrick used his misstep as a learning tool, and has positioned himself as the No. 2 ‘Husky’ behind Red Morgan. Kirkpatrick recorded an interception and made other plays in the spring game.

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He was a dynamic player at Gadsden (Ala.) City High School, yet he looks forward to making plays at Alabama.

Dijon Lee, a sophomore cornerback, is proud of his teammate’s bounce back story.

“The stuff that happened last year, he was working whenever we were at practice,” Lee said of Kirkpatrick after A-Day. “Even though he could not practice with us, he kept working no matter what. Even this year, with him coming back, there is no let off of what he did. He came in, put his head down and worked, and you see what happened.”

Kirkpatrick wants to be impactful, and the best way to move on from a bad moment is stacking several good ones. He started the process on A-Day, and Tide fans look forward to seeing it continue.

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Stephen M. Smith is a team writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine.  You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.