Alabama’s bye week arrived with more questions than answers on the injury front, and one roster absence has moved beyond the medical category. Defensive back Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. is not with the team after being ruled out just before kickoff against Texas A&M, and head coach Kalen DeBoer said Monday in Birmingham that the situation is tied to a team rules violation.
"He's not with us," DeBoer said. "We have an expectation and standard in our program, and the team rules, and things that go along with that. There's still some details that I'm trying to understand, but it's enough to where we know that's not how we operate."
Kirkpatrick was put under investigation by the University of Alabama on Nov. 2, 2025, after being charged with three counts of reckless endangerment, one count of attempting to elude and speeding. He was "indefinitely suspended" by DeBoer one day later, and he never played during the remainder of last season, including the SEC Championship and the College Football Playoff.
The Crimson Tide are also waiting on several injured players to make progress during the off week, including captain and wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams. He has missed the last two games with a knee injury, and DeBoer said the hope is that he could be back in line for LSU.
"Ryan in particular, I'm hopeful that he'll be ready for the LSU game," DeBoer said. "Really, a lot of the [injured] guys, this is a big week.
They're not in the clear yet, but we're hoping that rolls over into next week to where they'll be out there practicing. Not all of them are exactly on the same timeline, but Ryan in particular, I'll hope by next week he'll be able to give us quite a bit."
Alabama left guard William Sanders also left the Texas A&M game with a lower-extremity injury. After the game, DeBoer said Sanders "could be out for a little bit," and on Monday he gave a more specific estimate.
“He will be a little more extensive, more than likely,” DeBoer said. “Probably a few weeks out, probably two to three weeks.”
No. 10 Alabama, now 6-2 overall and 4-2 in the SEC, heads to Baton Rouge for a road game against No.
15 LSU, which is 6-2 and 3-2 in conference play. The matchup is set for 2:30 p.m.
CT on ABC Saturday, Nov. 7, at Tiger Stadium.
In Other News...
Alabama's Late Surge Revealed Something Bigger About This Offense
For most of the afternoon against Texas A&M, Alabama looked like a team searching for answers as much as one trying to impose its will. The Aggies stayed close long enough to make the game feel unsettled, even as the underlying numbers pointed toward an Alabama edge in efficiency and big-play potential. What stood out most was not just the final margin, but the way the Tide's offense kept working through a running game that never fully settled in until later.
Then came the fourth quarter, when Alabama's offense finally found a different gear and turned a competitive game into a more comfortable finish. The swing raised plenty of questions about what changed, from adjustments up front to how the staff may have tweaked the plan after some early struggles on the ground. However it happened, the late surge suggested something bigger than a single-game rally, because it hinted at an offense still discovering how dangerous it can be once the pieces start clicking. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama May Have Spotted An In-State Lineman Before Everyone Else
Alabama has already dipped into its 2027 offensive line board with a familiar kind of target for the Crimson Tide: an in-state prospect who may be more projection than polish right now. Xavier Endicott, a 6-foot-4, 280-pound lineman from Oxford, has committed to Alabama shortly after the program extended him a scholarship, and the early return suggests the staff saw enough size and athletic ability to move quickly.
Endicott is still unranked on the major recruiting sites, which only adds to the intrigue around how fast his recruitment came together. He also becomes part of a small but notable in-state foundation in the class, joining Stafford Willis as Alabama looks to stockpile offensive line talent early and identify potential before the rest of the country catches on. [Read more 🡒]
Keelon Russell Showed Promise In One Crucial Part Of Alabamas Offense
Alabamas offense looked far more functional against Texas A&M, finishing with more than 300 passing yards and 31 points in a performance that showed real growth after earlier inconsistencies. A big part of that progress came from the tight ends, who helped spark the passing game and accounted for two second-half touchdowns, giving the Tide a steadier, more layered attack than it had shown in some other outings.
Keelon Russell was central to that uptick, particularly in the run-pass option and play-action game, where he looked more comfortable operating within the structure of the offense. There were still missed chances along the way, but the encouraging part for Alabama is that Russells development showed up in areas that can matter most as the season goes on, especially if the Tide can keep building the kind of balance they found against the Aggies. [Read more 🡒]