Alabama Dismisses Defensive Back Dre Kirkpatrick Jr.
Coach Kalen DeBoer removed the former Crimson Tide player from the football program after misdemeanor charges involving a university police officer.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Football
Alabama dismissed defensive back Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. from its football program, with head coach Kalen DeBoer announcing the decision on October 27, 2026. Kirkpatrick had been suspended ahead of the Crimson Tide's October 24 win over Texas A&M after being arrested on misdemeanor charges of doxing and harassing communications.
Why it matters
DeBoer said Kirkpatrick did not live up to the standards and expectations he set for the team and its players. The dismissal comes after a second arrest in two seasons for Kirkpatrick, whose earlier 2025 arrest had already cost him the end of that season.
Kirkpatrick recorded 17 tackles in 28 Alabama appearances and 5 tackles, a pass breakup and a forced fumble across the first seven games of 2026. His next football destination has not been publicly identified.
The players
Kalen DeBoer
Alabama's head football coach who announced Kirkpatrick's dismissal and said he failed to meet the program's standards.
Dre Kirkpatrick Jr.
Former Alabama defensive back and son of Dre Kirkpatrick Sr., a two-time national champion for the Crimson Tide.
The details
DeBoer announced the dismissal in a statement, and Kirkpatrick posted a message thanking DeBoer and the coaching staff on his TikTok account. Court records allege Kirkpatrick sent a message to a University of Alabama police officer who had been involved in an earlier traffic stop involving him, and posted a photograph of the officer's family.
Timeline
Kirkpatrick committed to Alabama in 2023 while Nick Saban was still coaching.
Kirkpatrick missed the end of the 2025 season following a reckless endangerment arrest.
Kirkpatrick was arrested on October 23, 2026, on misdemeanor doxing and harassing charges.
Kirkpatrick was suspended ahead of the October 24, 2026 win over Texas A&M.
DeBoer announced the dismissal on October 27, 2026.
Roadmap
Kirkpatrick's path mirrors the Saban-era pattern of recruiting players with championship family ties, a pipeline that Alabama is now testing under new head coach Kalen DeBoer. The dismissal shows the program enforcing conduct standards even for a player whose father won national titles at Alabama in 2009 and 2011.
The dismissal removes a rotation contributor from Alabama's secondary heading into the LSU game, with his 2026 production limited to five tackles across seven games. Fantasy and depth-chart watchers should note the defensive back position is now one player thinner.
The takeaway
The removal of a player with championship family ties shows that Alabama's conduct standards apply regardless of pedigree. Readers following college football roster discipline can watch how the program handles similar cases under DeBoer.
What happens next
Alabama's next game is at LSU following an open week, and Kirkpatrick's next football destination remains undecided.
Further reading
For more on the program's recent roster moves, explore Football coverage of Alabama and the wider Tuscaloosa sports scene.
