Because he hasn't used a regular redshirt, the NCAA is a lot more lenient in granting a medical redshirt. If he has some kind of injury, even if it wouldn't normally be a season-ending injury, we could probably spin that into a medical redshirt for him.

To be eligible for a medical redshirt, you can have only played in 3 or fewer games, all in the first half of the season, so he'd meet those requirements easily. Plus, he may be good enough to go to the NFL after Year 4 anyway, rendering this whole discussion moot.