The transfer portal is down to its final days, and Alabama is still taking inventory of a turbulent offseason. Twenty-two players entered the transfer portal this offseason. Seven of them came from the defensive side of the ball, including DB Cam Calhoun. As a program built on defensive continuity, that level of attrition is a signal. And it left Kalen DeBoer searching for stability in a secondary suddenly thin on proven bodies. That’s what makes the timing of Dre Kirkpatrick Jr.’s announcement noteworthy.

“BREAKING: Alabama DB Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. will RETURN to the Crimson Tide in 2026! 🐘” Recruits Bama posted on X on January 13. “He was suspended for majority of the season after being arrested. Kirkpatrick had 8 total tackles and 1 forced fumble in four games this season.”

Touchdown Alabama first reported the decision. In a secondary dealing with exits, uncertainty, and NFL draft limbo, Alabama retained a player who had already been in the rotation before everything stopped.

Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. was suspended indefinitely during Alabama’s second bye week. According to jail records, he was charged with three counts of reckless endangerment, one count of attempting to elude, and speeding. The suspension cost him Alabama’s final seven games. His season ended against South Carolina at the exact moment his role was expanding.

Across two seasons, Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. has appeared in 20 games. His career totals sit at 11 tackles, one forced fumble, and one pass breakup. In the 2025 season alone,  the 5’11, 202-pound DB from Gadsden City High School played eight games and recorded nine tackles, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble, and a pass breakup.

There is also the unavoidable lineage. Kirkpatrick Jr. is the son of former Alabama DB Dre Kirkpatrick, a cornerstone of Nick Saban’s early title defenses. From 2009 to 2011, the elder Kirkpatrick played 38 games, totaled 91 tackles, broke up 16 passes, forced three fumbles, intercepted three passes, and scored on a fumble recovery. He won two national championships, one SEC title, and became the No. 17 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. 

Kirkpatrick Jr. is now the third DB to officially announce his return, joining junior Red Morgan and senior Bray Hubbard. Kalen DeBoer also expects to retain Zabien Brown, Dijon Lee, Ivan Taylor, and Zavier Mincey. The largest unanswered question remains Keon Sabb, with the redshirt junior still weighing his NFL draft decision. Until that call is made, Alabama’s secondary exists in a state of controlled uncertainty. But Dre Kirkpatrick Jr.’s return narrows that margin. And just as the back end finds its footing, the front continues to thin.

Defensive line attrition tests Kalen DeBoer’s roster blueprint

Alabama lost another defensive lineman to the transfer portal when Jordan Renaud entered his name. Matt Zenitz reported that the former top-60 overall recruit from the 2023 class is moving on after totaling 16 tackles this season. He played in 15 games in 2025, started three, and finished with 18 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. His exit completes a full reset at the Bandit position. LT Overton is heading to the NFL after exhausting his eligibility. Keon Keeley has transferred to Notre Dame. And Renaud is gone. All three primary Bandits will be absent in 2026.

While that reads like instability on the outside, it is being framed as alignment inside the program. Alabama GM Courtney Morgan has been clear about the direction. The Tide will still use the portal, but it will not build through it as retention is more important. High school recruiting and development remain the foundation, with the portal used selectively to fill gaps, not define the roster.

So far, Alabama has added three transfer defensive linemen. Caleb Smith, a Birmingham native who previously played for Kalen DeBoer, is one of them. Devan Thompkins arrives from USC with one year of eligibility. Kedrick Bingley-Jones comes from Mississippi State with two seasons remaining. That is the through line of this offseason. Losses are real and optics are loud. But returns like Dre Kirkpatrick Jr.’s, paired with a deliberate roster plan, suggest Alabama is not scrambling. 

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