Nick Saban’s tenure with Alabama football has featured fairly incredible longevity given the usual trajectory of an SEC coach. He’s currently in his 17th season at the helm of the Crimson Tide, a time that has featured six national championships and counting.

But on Wednesday, Saban experienced a new first. Gadsden City cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. signed his national letter of intent with the Crimson Tide as a member of the recruiting class of 2024.

It’s Saban’s first Alabama legacy. He’d coached fathers and sons before, Mark Ingram’s father played for Saban at Michigan State, but it’s the first all-Alabama legacy duo.

“I think it’s great,” Saban said. “His dad’s been a really good ambassador for the program, was a great player here and had a great NFL career so you really appreciate that part of it. But I know how proud he is of his son on what his son has been able to accomplish and his son to have an opportunity to come to Alabama.”

Dre Kirkpatrick Sr. played for Saban from 2009-2011. He then went on to an NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers.

On Wednesday, Saban was asked how recruiting the two Dre Kirkpatricks compared.

“They’re different people,” Saban said. “You know, I mean, they’re both good people and great family. I don’t like to make comparisons. I don’t think that’s fair but little Dre is a mature guy that kind of knows what he wants. He’s a very competitive guy and his dad was, had a lot of those same characteristics and that’s why he became the kind of player that he was.”

The younger Kirkpatrick joins the Crimson Tide as a three-star prospect. The 247Sports composite tabbed him as the No. 41 player in the state of Alabama.