Alabama redshirt freshman cornerback Kendall Sheffield has not been with the football program the past couple days, Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban said Tuesday evening following the team’s 15th fall camp practice session, but the former five-star recruit’s return to Tuscaloosa is unknown to the head coach as fall camp comes to an end and school begins Wednesday.

“Kendall Sheffield has not been here for last couple days,” Saban said. “I don’t really know what his status is, so there’s no need to ask me. We’re happy to have him back, he’s a fine young man, he’s worked hard, he’s made a lot of improvement here. We enjoy having him be a part of the team, if that’s what he chooses, and we will continue to work with him in a positive way to help him develop personally, academically and athletically.”

Sheffield was not present at either of Alabama’s latest three practice sessions. He had seen some reps at cornerback with the first-team secondary in previous practices’ nickel drills, but the Tide secondary was far from set with a lot of moving pieces during fall camp. Sheffield has been concerned with possible playing time, sources told BamaOnLine.

There is not, however, a cutoff date for Sheffield to return to the team, Saban said Tuesday.

“We want what’s best for the people on our team, aight?” Saban said. “If there’s something that we can do to help resolve this from their family’s standpoint, we’re certainly available to do that, and there’s no pressure from our standpoint. School starts tomorrow. It’s really important that our players develop the right habits, have success in school. That’s what they’re here for. And hopefully he’ll make a decision so he doesn’t get behind from that standpoint.”

Sheffield redshirted last season after arriving to Tuscaloosa as the No. 3 player in the state of Texas, No. 4 cornerback and No. 20 overall prospect in the 2015 recruiting cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

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