Alabama coach Nick Saban said wide receiver Agiye Hall is suspended from the team and indicated the suspension could be permanent.
“He is suspended from the team for violations of some team rules, whether they’re academic or whatever, it doesn’t really matter,” Saban said Wednesday. “Everybody has a responsibility and obligation to respect the principles and values [of the program] and do what they need to do — they’re all there to help them be more successful, so to respect those and do those is always really helpful.”
Asked what Hall could do to earn his way back to the team, Saban said Hall already had that opportunity once and, “I don’t know what his plans are for the future.”
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Hall, a freshman last season, was removed from Alabama’s online roster Tuesday. He later quote-tweeted a report about his removal and wrote, “news to me , but fs [for sure].”
Hall was a top-50 recruit in the 2021 class who starred during the 2021 spring game and showed saw playing time in the season opener against Miami, catching one pass. Saban said later in September that Hall was getting “better and better” and expressed optimism that he would contribute soon.
“We try to get our guys to understand that that dependability is really important in their life for them to be successful, as well as in school to be successful, as well as in football to be successful,” Saban said Sept. 22.
But the playing time for Hall, who attended multiple high schools in the Tampa area, did not come. He tweeted apparent frustration with his playing time after a blowout October win at Mississippi State.
“I’ve said this before that there’s players that have talent, but they have to learn how to use it,” Saban said days later. “And they have to use it in an effective way, in a way they practice. It’s up to the player to impress the coaches that they can be trusted to go into game and do what they’re supposed to do.”
Hall was not in uniform the following week against Tennessee.
“What we do with our players on our team is really kind of our business, and we’re encouraging guys to do the right thing, whether it’s personally [or] academically,” Saban said after that game. “We have protocols that when guys miss so many things, they don’t get to play in a game. That’s always been a rule around here.”
Hall, though, returned to appear in a November game against New Mexico State and then saw time in each of the Tide’s two College Football Playoff games. That included early-game snaps before Jameson Williams’ injury against Georgia, then increased playing time the rest of that national championship loss.
Hall caught only two of eight targets against Georgia for 52 yards, including a 28-yard gain, but dropped a would-be touchdown pass from Bryce Young. Weeks later, Saban lamented how three young Alabama receivers did not take advantage of injuries to Williams and John Metchie but did not specifically name any.
Mike Rodak is an Alabama beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mikerodak.
