The calendar says Thursday but Alabama practiced this afternoon like it was a Monday. The early start on game week took the Crimson Tide to the far field.

A few notes from the abbreviated media viewing period:

-- Defensive lineman Antonio Alfano was back on the practice field after missing the previous three workouts this week.

-- Spotted with the running backs was Jerome Ford, the redshirt freshman who went down with what Nick Saban called a sprained ankle in Saturday’s scrimmage.

-- It also looked like freshman middle linebacker Christian Harris was moving well after a few days of limited action. This was the first time getting an up-close look at the newcomer who was not enrolled in the spring. The Baton Rouge product has impressive size for his age at 6-foot-2, 244 pounds. He has the look of a college player from the outset, a lot like Dylan Moses when he arrived from Baton Rouge two years ago.

-- The second grouping with the middle linebackers included freshman Shane Lee and sophomore Jaylen Moody.

-- Instead of full gear, Alabama players wore helmets and shoulder pads.

-- Saban will meet with the press after the practice around 6 p.m.

Michael Casagrande is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.