Alabama Crimson Tide may be left with no choice after legacy player gets suspended for the second time in as many years
The Alabama Crimson Tide listed cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. as out against Texas A&M, and the reason behind his absence was a familiar one. Now Kalen DeBoer and his staff have a decision to make.
When the Alabama Crimson Tide released its pregame availability report ahead of the Texas A&M game, one name stood out. Most of the absences were expected, but cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. being ruled out came as a surprise.
Well, it turns out there was a reason. Kirkpatrick was unavailable because he has been suspended by Alabama for the second time in as many years. That likely leaves Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer, general manager Courtney Morgan, and the rest of the staff with only one real option going forward.
Kirkpatrick’s suspension hurt Alabama against Texas A&M
The timing could not have been worse for the Crimson Tide.
Red Morgan, Alabama’s starting Husky and one of the best defenders on the roster, was ejected after a targeting call on the Texas A&M quarterback. Under normal circumstances, that is where Kirkpatrick would step in as the backup. Instead, he was sitting out on suspension.
So the staff had to turn to Chuck McDonald, who does not typically play that role in Alabama’s defense. McDonald did not have his best game. To his credit, he came away with an interception, and the reps should help his development. Still, that was supposed to be Kirkpatrick’s moment to show what he could do with an expanded role.
Kirkpatrick put his coaches in a bind on a day when they needed him most. A team can absorb losing a starter to a targeting call. It is a lot harder when the next man up is not available for reasons that had nothing to do with what happened on the field.
Why Alabama may have no choice but to move on
This is what makes the situation so frustrating. Kirkpatrick is an Alabama legacy player, and there is no doubt the Crimson Tide would like to have him on the field. He made some plays during the spring game. He had a role within this defense at one point, and I believe he could have developed into a starter down the line.
But talent only matters if you are available, and Kirkpatrick seemingly cannot keep his head straight away from the football field. A single suspension can be written off as a mistake. A second one in as many seasons starts to look like a pattern, and coaching staffs at programs like Alabama do not have a lot of patience for patterns.
I would not be surprised if this is the end of the road for Kirkpatrick in Tuscaloosa. Whether that dismissal comes during the season, comes in the next few days, or waits until after the season, I don’t know. The timing is anyone’s guess.
What I do know is that DeBoer has a defense to manage, a depth chart that was just tested in a real game, and a player who has now let the program down twice. Keeping him around sends a message to the rest of the locker room, and it is not the message a head coach wants to send.
What comes next for the Crimson Tide secondary
If Alabama does part ways with Kirkpatrick, the Husky spot becomes a question mark any time Morgan is not on the field. McDonald showed he can make a play when called upon, but he is not a natural fit there. The staff will need to figure out who backs up one of its most important defenders, and it may have to do that in the middle of the season.
In my opinion, that is a problem Alabama can solve. The bigger problem would be continuing to count on a player who has not proven he can be counted on.
Kirkpatrick had a path to playing time with the Crimson Tide. After a second suspension in two years, that path may already be closed, and DeBoer’s staff is probably out of reasons to keep it open.
