TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA - OCTOBER 24: Head coach Kalen DeBoer of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts during the second quarter of the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 24, 2026 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Jason Clark/Getty Images) | Getty Images Joshua Chatham Wed, October 28, 2026 at 2:40 PM UTC · 6 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Happy Gump Day, everyone. It's bye week, so not too much is going on. This first bit of news is anything but Gumpy, as Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. has been kicked off of the football team.
According to court records made public Tuesday, UAPD police Officer Christopher Fuerch reported that on Oct. 20, he received a message from Kirkpatrick on Facebook messenger that stated, "Ayy bitch ass n****? Text me back don't be no bitch!"
The officer said he was immediately alarmed because in November 2025 Fuerch attempted a traffic stop in which Kirkpatrick reportedly fled from police.
After receiving the message, Fuerch went to Kirkpatrick's Facebook page to block him. Fuerch said he saw on the page a photograph of himself with his wife and children with the caption, "Dis him?"
The officer said the post caused "severe concern for the overall safety and well-being of himself and his family given the substantial audience and public following Kirkpatrick maintains as a football player for the University of Alabama."
That is just stupid and dangerous behavior, and he has so much potential on the field. Best of luck to him, hopefully he learns from it.
Kalen DeBoer spoke to media on a few topics. He is quite high on EJ Crowell.
DeBoer said Crowell is "fun to be around" and "wants to go out there and compete his tail off." Crowell has shown growth, DeBoer said, growth that has not turned into reps "because of injury and different things that have popped up."
"I think he's going to have a great career," DeBoer said. "There is no doubt about it, in my mind. He's got it in him. He's built for it. But sometimes, you just have a tough year, and he's going through that right now."
He also said that they are hopeful that he will be able to practice all week and prepare to play vs LSU. I seem to recall a freshman RB enjoying a breakout game in Baton Rouge, almost 30 years to the day before next Saturday.
DeBoer was asked about CFP expansion. He believes that teams will schedule more marquee games because of it.
The CFP is expected to expand to include 24 teams with expected elimination of conference championship games. For DeBoer, it's an opportunity for teams, like Alabama , to continue to schedule "big games outside of the conference."
"That's certainly the trend right now with a lot of programs is play your three or four non-conference games that are more winnable and then, you know, stay away from the big matchups, which really enhances college football," DeBoer told The Tuscaloosa News. "More teams get in. You argue that there's a little but more room for error, and you know, those games (are) more likely to happen. You know, someone's going to be on the wrong end of it, and it could be two teams that are both playoff worthy, so the hit isn't quite as much."
There is supposedly a not-so-secret scheduling arrangement between the SEC and Big Ten, that will take effect as soon as the 24-team playoff is finalized. Alabama already has a home and home scheduled with Ohio State over the next two seasons, which would likely serve as the Tide's first two installments in that series.
Kalen continues to say that Alabama offers enough financial support to field a good roster.
"I think we're competitive," DeBoer told The Tuscaloosa News . "I think we're competitive. And it's our job, as coaches, to, you know, continue to develop our guys and help them come together and become a complete team."
While testifying in front of the United States Senate for the "Protect College Sports Act," former Alabama coach Nick Saban gave an indication as to what "competitive" really means.
From 2021 to 2025, Saban said Alabama grew its NIL collective from $2.7 million to $10 million in 2023, his last with the Crimson Tide , to $24 million in the 2025 season, the second season under DeBoer, mentioning that there are "schools that have close to $40 million rosters."
Katie Windham notes that Alabama has played well after bye weeks under DeBoer.
There are two bits of good news for Crimson Tide fans during this week before a huge showdown with No. 15 LSU next Saturday. First, some injured players, like receiver and team captain Ryan Coleman-Williams , are trending in a positive direction to play against LSU. Secondly, Alabama has played really well coming off bye weeks under head coach Kalen DeBoer.
In DeBoer's previous two seasons with the Crimson Tide, Alabama is 4-0 after bye weeks with an average margin of victory of 12.5 points. Three of those four victories came against ranked opponents: Georgia and LSU in 2024 and Georgia in 2025.
Last, John Longshore at Yellowhammer News penned a nice piece on what the LSU game means for all involved.
Everyone in the SEC wants to beat Alabama. That has been true for generations, and it will remain true long after the current collection of coaches has moved on.
But nobody on LSU's sideline will have more personal reasons to want this one than Kiffin.
There is history there. Considerable history. It hardly needs repeating for anyone who has followed Alabama football over the last decade.
Kiffin knows what Alabama means. More importantly, he knows what beating Alabama means, even if that particular accomplishment has eluded him as a head coach.
He also knows that when his former boss retired, his name was conspicuously absent from the public conversation surrounding potential replacements.
Now he has an opportunity to defeat the man who got the job and, in the process, drive a stake into the heart of Alabama's playoff ambitions.
One suspects he would find considerable satisfaction in both. There's nothing Lane Kiffin loves more than causing chaos for a former employer.
On the other hand, beating Kiffin on his own field and potentially relegating him to a secondary bowl game in Orlando or Tampa would be quite satisfying for many Tide fans.
I'll give Kiffin one thing: he epitomizes the pettiness that has made college football so much fun through the years.
That's about it for now. Have a great day.
Source: Sports
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