Auburn defensive back signee Carlito Gonzalez was absent from the first day of Auburn's practice and will not enroll this fall after failing to qualify academically..

According to coach Gus Malzahn, Gonzalez is "in the process of looking for a junior college" and will not play at Auburn this season.

Gonzalez, a three-star safety, had been working to finish a high school course in order to become academically eligible. At SEC Media Days last month, Malzahn did not appear concerned about the status of Gonzalez' eligibility and said he expected Gonzalez to be on campus in time for the start of fall camp.

Gonzalez was rated as the No. 29 safety in the nation coming out of Stephenson in Stone Mountain, Ga. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder was one of the Tigers' longest-standing commits in the 2017 class, having pledged to the program on Aug. 9, 2015 and remaining loyal to his commitment through two different defensive coordinators, Will Muschamp and then Kevin Steele, as well as three different defensive backs coaches: Travaris Robinson, Wesley McGriff and now Greg Brown.

Gonzalez is the second member of Auburn's 2017 class to fail to qualify academically, joining four-star athlete Alaric Williams, who enrolled at Garden City Community College this summer.

"Like I said, (Gonzalez is) in the process of looking for a junior college and (he'll) go to a junior college and try to get here," Malzahn said.