Nick Saban Says Former 5-Star DL Antonio Alfano 'Basically Quit' Alabama Program

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban didn't mince words when speaking about defensive lineman Antonio Alfano's status with the program. 

"I just know that the guy basically quit. He quit going to class, he quit coming here," Saban said on Wednesday, per Charlie Potter of 247Sports. "... Until he responds, you just have to assume the guy quit."

Coming out of high school, Alfano was rated by 247Sports as a 5-star recruit and the No. 5 overall recruit in the class of 2019. He has not seen the field through the first three weeks of the season, as he was suspended for his team's contest against New Mexico State on Sept. 7. 

When the freshman did not participate in three practices last week, Saban revealed Alfano had "kind of disappeared a little bit," per AL.com's Matt Zenitz:

"He's kind of disappeared a little bit. I talked to our team today about the fact that people make mistakes. We all 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. So hopefully this will be a learning experience for all the guys on our team."

Antonio's father, Frankie-Hilda Alfano, revealed on Sept. 13 that his son's absence from practice and classes was due to an illness in the family. He also noted that while Alabama has been "extremely supportive" during the difficult time, Antonio wanted to enter the transfer portal to "see what his options are."

That said, the Crimson Tide remained an option:

It doesn't sound as though Saban is counting on Alfano moving forward, though.

Alfano was the headliner in Alabama's top-ranked recruiting class, per 247Sports. He was one of three 5-star recruits, alongside running back Trey Sanders and offensive lineman Evan Neal, Saban landed this year.

According to his Alabama profile, Alfano received more than 30 offers prior to committing to the Crimson Tide. He was also recruited by Florida, Florida State, Georgia and LSU, among others.