Nick Saban offers update on Antonio Alfano

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama head football coach Nick Saban gave an update on the status of freshman defensive lineman Antonio Alfano Wednesday.

Saban spoke about Alfano Saturday after the Crimson Tide’s 62-10 victory over New Mexico State. To date, Saban has yet to specify what the lineman did, nor give exactly what discipline he is going through.

"He's going through some discipline things with me," Saban said Saturday after the game against New Mexico State. "So if he does what he's supposed to do — I'm not going to tell you what, but whether it's academic, which that has something to do with it. And being responsible and accountable to do what he's supposed to do like any other player on the team.

"So we want to get him right. We want to help him. We want to help him do the right things, but he's got to make those choices and decisions, too."

Wednesday at Saban’s weekly press conference, his response was much of the same.

“He’s kind of disappeared a little bit,” Saban said. “You know I talked to our team today about the fact that people make mistakes. We all make mistakes. I make mistakes. Probably everybody in this room makes mistakes. We make mistakes as parents, we make mistakes as coaches, we make mistakes in just about everything that we do, but I think you compound the problem when you don’t confront the mistakes that you make and you create greater consequences for yourself because of the choices and decisions that you make after you make a mistake.

“Hopefully this will be a learning experience for all the guys on our team.”

Alfano arrived at Alabama as the No. 1 defensive tackle recruit as well as the No. 5 overall recruit in the class. After seeing no play time at Duke, and not being allowed to be on the sideline against New Mexico State, it is unclear when fans can expect to see him in action.