Alabama sophomore safety Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. was arrested over the weekend and charged with three counts of reckless endangerment, attempting to elude, and speeding. He was booked into the Tuscaloosa County Jail and released on bond.
Further details of the incident have yet to be provided, but on Monday, during his press conference, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer updated Kirkpatrick's status on the team.
DeBoer announced that Kirkpatrick Jr. would be indefinitely suspended from the team.
"He understands the consequences that come with his actions," DeBoer said.
An indefinite suspension was probably the best-case scenario for Kirkpatrick. He wasn't booted from the team, meaning there is a path for him to return. That may not be this season, but he'll likely have benchmarks he has to hit to be able to return to action.
Dre Kirkpatrick Jr.'s suspension is an unfortunate blow to Alabama's DB depth
While Kirkpatrick is a backup safety, he's a core special teams contributor and has seen a handful of snaps each week on defense.
Fortunately, safety is one of the Crimson Tide's deeper positions, with starters Bray Hubbard and Keon Sabb making up one of the best duos in the country. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better No. 3 safety than sophomore Zay Mincey, either.
With Kirkpatrick suspended indefinitely, redshirt sophomore Kameron Howard and true freshman Ivan Taylor will get an opportunity to step into his role. Taylor has played in all eight of the Crimson Tide's games, mainly on special teams, so he is no longer eligible for a redshirt anyway.
The bigger loss than defensively will be Kirkpatrick's versatility on the special teams units. He will be missed on coverage teams.
The son of former Alabama cornerback and first-round NFL Draft pick Dre Kirkpatrick, the sophomore safety had taken some major strides during his second season in Tuscaloosa. This is an unfortunate setback for him and a distraction the Crimson Tide didn't need as they head into a critical November featuring games that will decide whether they will get an opportunity to play for the SEC Championship and secure a berth in the College Football Playoff.
Hopefully, Kirkpatrick uses this as a learning opportunity and is able to do what it takes to rejoin the team somewhere down the line.