At the time, he also had scholarship offers from several Southeastern Conference schools, including Alabama's rival, Tennessee. He saw limited playing time during his freshman year, backing up full-time starter Brodie Croyle.
During his freshman year at the university, he was offered scholarships by various Southeastern Conference schools, which included Alabama's rival, Tennessee. Despite these offers, he did not get much playing time and supported Brodie Croyle as a backup player.