Last weekend, Alabama welcomed a special NFL legacy recruit to Tuscaloosa in Gadsden City High School defensive back Dre Kirkpatrick Jr.
His father, Dre Kirkpatrick, suited up for the Crimson Tide from 2009-2011 and was a key part of two national championship teams, earning Second Team All-SEC honors at cornerback in 2010 and 2011 and eventually becoming the 17th overall pick to the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2012 NFL draft.
It was the first unofficial visit for Kirkpatrick, a 2024 prospect, in his recruitment as he worked out in front of the Alabama coaching staff. It was his trip back to Tuscaloosa in roughly 6-7 years.
"It was real good," the younger Kirkpatrick told BamaCentral. "I feel like I did during the workout and the visit went good. The coaching staff showed me a lot of stuff I could do better. Seeing the facilities was my favorite part of the visit and seeing Coach [Nick] Saban was cool. He is a cool dude. He was kinda surprised of how big I've gotten."
At the time of his last trip to the Capstone, Kirkpatrick was just a mere kid and now he stands nearly six-feet tall and over 170 pounds as a rising sophomore. Like his dad, he primarily plays in the defensive backfield but also sees time at running back for Gadsden City.
While he doesn't have an official offer from Alabama yet, Kirkpatrick's recruitment is just getting started and he is working towards following in his dad's footsteps and playing high-major Division 1 football.
He has also received invites to camp at schools like Clemson, Tennessee, LSU, among others.
"It would be very important to me," Kirkpatrick said of what it would be like to get an offer from the Crimson Tide. "It would push me because I know that a lot of people expect a lot from me. I know if I eventually make it 'Bama, I would eventually feel some pressure because of who I'm named after."
His father shared photos of the visit via Instagram and called it "the best day of his life."
"My dad was emotional," Kirkpatrick said. "He was just amazed and surprised to see me doing what he did when he was a recruit. It's cool having him as a dad because I can just call him whenever I need him and he'll be able to help me out and teach me what I need to know."
It's still a few years away but the Kirkpatricks could become the first ever father-son tandem to both play for the Crimson Tide under Saban.
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