Nick Saban updates Elijah Pritchett's status with team following arrest
ANAHEIM, Calif. – Alabama coach Nick Saban made his first public comments on offensive lineman Elijah Pritchett since the latter was arrested last week. Pritchett was charged with knowingly passing on a sexually transmitted disease one week ago in Tuscaloosa.
On Wednesday, Saban was asked to update Pritchett’s status on the Crimson Tide team.
“We’re handling his circumstances internally,” Saban said at Disneyland. “That’s all I can really comment about. His status on the team has not been affected to this point.”
Pritchett, 19, was arrested on a Class C misdemeanor and later released on $500 bail. He was later granted youthful offender status, which permanently sealed his record from the public.
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Pritchett, a redshirt freshman, has played in all 13 of Alabama’s games this season. He split time at left tackle with freshman Kadyn Proctor during a four-game stretch in the middle of the Tide’s 2023 campaign. Beginning with the SEC opener against Ole Miss, Pritchett logged double-digit snaps against the Rebels, Mississippi State, Texas A&M and Arkansas. But after that, he went back to being the backup left tackle behind the true freshman starter.
Pritchett seems to be in line to start next fall with right tackle JC Latham most likely turning pro after the 2023 season. A member of Alabama’s 2022 signing class, Pritchett was a top 50 recruit, including the nation’s No. 4 offensive tackle, per the On3 Industry Rankings. He planned to enter the NCAA transfer portal last Friday but changed his mind 24 hours later.
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