The Alabama Crimson Tide has been able to land many of the best recruits in the country for two decades, but head coach Nick Saban was able to achieve a first in his distinguished recruiting career on Friday.
Alabama has created an uncanny reputation for being a factory for future NFL talent. Obviously, part of the reason is because Nick Saban is one of the great head coaches in collegiate sports history and he has put together many strong staffs to develop talent throughout his run at the school. However, another major factor has been his ability to recruit the best players in the country.
On Friday, the school announced the signing of 2024 recruit Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. And while the news is notable, it is different from other major signings for several reasons. Firstly, the high school star from Gadsden, Alabama is not ranked on any of the top high school standouts list. However, the signing of the three-star safety is historic for Saban because it is his first legacy recruit.
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Kirkpatrick Jr. is the son of Dre Kirkpatrick Sr. who was taken by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 17th pick overall in the 2012 NFL Draft. And oddly enough, he was recruited by the Alabama Crimson Tide and played for Saban 14 years ago.
The offspring of the former NFL player reportedly was also being pursued by Arkansas, Auburn, and Missouri before choosing Alabama to be his home next Fall.
Dre Kirkpatrick Sr. played 10 seasons in the league with eight being with the Cincinnati Bengals, and a season a piece with the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals. Four times during his career the cornerback reeled in three interceptions for the teams he played on.