Class of 2024 Safety Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. commits to Alabama

Class of 2024 safety Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. of Gadsden (AL) Gadsden City High announced his commitment to Alabama Friday afternoon.

The 6-foot, 190 pounder chose the Crimson Tide over Missouri, Tennessee, and others.

“They know how to win and have a great coaching staff,” Kirkpatrick said. “It is a great location from my hometown. Also being the first legacy player in the Nick Saban era. It’s a great opportunity to play and compete and make it to the NFL.”

His relationship with the coaching staff and their plan for him played a role in his decision as well.

“I’m close with coach TRob, coach Cox, coach Roach, and coach Saban,” Kirkpatrick said. “They plan on using me at the star position and some at safety.”

The Alabama defensive back joins coach Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide’s top 5 class in the 2024 team rankings. He is accompanied by five-star quarterback Julian Sayin, five-star athlete Jaylen Mbakwe, and others.

Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. Recruiting Profile

Kirkpatrick Jr. ranks as the No. 1399 player in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He also tabs in as the No. 129 safety and the No. 48 player in the state of Alabama.

On3 ranks him higher than the industry, as he tabs in as the No. 80 safety in the class, and the No. 39 player in Alabama.

He currently does not have an On3 NIL Valuation publicly listed. The On3 NIL Valuation is the leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.

Kirkpatrick Jr. is the son of former Alabama defensive back and 2012 NFL first round draft pick Dre Kirkpatrick.