Elijah Pritchett is still a part of the Alabama football program, Nick Saban said on Wednesday afternoon.

The Crimson Tide head coach met with reporters for a Rose Bowl kickoff media event in Disneyland and addressed the status of Pritchett, who was arrested last week in Tuscaloosa for knowingly spreading a sexually transmitted disease.

“we’re handling his circumstance internally and that’s all I can really comment about. His status on the team has not been affected to this point.”, Saban said.

A representative from the Tuscaloosa Police Department confirmed to AL.com that a report was filed against Pritchett on Dec. 13. On Wednesday, Dec. 20, Pritchett was arrested and charged with a Class C misdemeanor.

Pritchett, 19, was released on a $500 bond and granted youthful offender status, which can lead to a lighter sentence and Pritchett avoiding a criminal conviction. The University had yet to release a statement regarding Pritchett’s arrest before Saban’s comments.

Pritchett is a second-year player and former five-star prospect from Midland, Ga. Pritchett also ticketed after Alabama’s first scrimmage of the spring on April 7 in Bibb County and served community service. He’s appeared in 15 games at offensive tackle, rotating in at left tackle and competing for playing time with freshman Kadyn Proctor in 2023.

The team arrived in California on Tuesday to continue prep for No. 1 Michigan. The College Football Playoff semifinal is on New Year’s Day at 4 p.m. CT.

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].