Former Alabama defensive back Kool-Aid McKinstry warms up during the SEC Championship game in Atlanta, Georgia.
As prospects prepare for the NFL Draft, which begins April 25th, Alabama has nine prospects hoping to hear their name called in Detroit, Michigan. That group includes two cornerback prospects in Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold.
Cornerback McKinstry's 40-yard dash was the main event at Alabama's 2024 NFL Draft Pro Day. The cornerback was projected by draft experts to be a first-round pick, but Jones had to be removed from the 2024 NFL Draft Scouting Combine after a medical examination revealed a broken foot.
McKinstry's 40-yard dash was a success, but it wasn't the only run that received media attention. As the media focused on McKinstry, his teammate and fellow first-round cornerback prospect Arnold made a dramatic entrance, running up behind Kool-Aid and giving him a hug.
McKinstry and Arnold were part of Alabama's 2021 recruiting class, so this exchange shows their strong relationship. Both were five-star prospects, both defensive backs, and both became key parts of the Crimson Tide's defense for the next three seasons of their careers.
“That's my brother. I can't say we're competing,” McKinstry said. “We do this every day. We've been doing this since we got here. We think we're all trying to make each other better.”
McKinstry's path to the NFL is marked by early success. He made an immediate impact in the Crimson Tide's secondary rotation during the first fall camp in Tuscaloosa. McKinstry played in 15 games as a five-star freshman, with his signature moment coming against Auburn, Alabama's biggest rival. His game-changing play in destroying a two-point conversion attempt in overtime and setting up the Crimson Tide for the eventual game-winning two-point conversion showed his high potential and left fans wondering what's to come. excited me.
2022 was a standout year for McKinstry. The Pinson, Alabama, native had 16 pass breakups in his sophomore season, ranking first in the SEC and 10th nationally, earning All-American and All-SEC honors.
After redshirting in 2021, Arnold also broke out in the 2022 season. Arnold, a native of Tallahassee, Fla., earned All-America honors as a freshman with 45 total tackles and eight pass breakups.
The duo entered the 2023 season headlining an Alabama defensive backs group ranked No. 4 in Phil Steele's 2023 Defensive Backroom Rankings. Both will prove their worth in their final seasons with the Crimson Tide.
Arnold and McKinstry headlined Alabama's secondary, which led the Crimson Tide to a top-20 rating nationally in pass defense, allowing just 187.8 yards per game. Arnold was the more tested of the two, being targeted 79 times during his redshirt sophomore season. He raised his draft stock with five interceptions and 17 passes defensed, ranking in the nation's top 10 in both statistics. McKinstry, on the other hand, received less criticism. As a result, no interceptions were recorded and only seven passes were defended. Both were named to the 2023 All-American First Team by the Associated Press.
Both have declared for the 2024 NFL Draft. McKinstry and Arnold are each projected to be selected in the first round..
Alabama safety Malachi Moore had strong words when vouching for each of his former secondary partners.
“[Kool-Aid] Someone who will always be there for you, but someone who will always push you to be better. ” Moore said. “Even on days when you don't feel like doing something, he's always going to push you to be the best you can be. Therion is one of those guys who's willing to talk to anyone. That's his personality. We talk all the time. That's his personality. He's an outgoing guy, the same quality that Kool-Aid had, he's more of a brother than a teammate.”
Arnold and McKinstry are both on the verge of entering the NFL, and while they'll likely go their separate ways, Arnold says their time together in Tuscaloosa has shaped them into the players they are today.
“When we came here, we made a pact with each other here and said we were going to inspire each other to be better and push each other to be better, and we did that,” Arnold said. “He really held me to high standards and held the team to high standards. I don't know what he said during the game, but that guy there is a true competitor. It’s your opponent.”
