Tommy Tuberville confirmed that Aairon Savage will miss the season after having surgery today on the right knee he injured on Monday. Here's some of what his roommate and fellow cornerback had to say about Savage and their situation at cornerback, where it appears they'll have even more need for some youngsters to step in and play now.

On Savage's approach to coming back next season:
I don’t even know if that’s on his mind right now, just because of the situation right now. I haven’t even talked to him about it. I didn’t even want to talk football with him about it, just to get it off his mind. But he’s a competitor. I’m pretty sure we’ll see Aairon back out here. He’s a competitor.

On the young guys who might play:
From what I’ve seen, Neiko and D. Hood, they’re out here competing every day. They’re getting a lot of reps with the twos. Both of them, like when I went to take my test yesterday, I heard Neiko was out here with the first team and got two or three picks. They’re competing. That’s all we’re asking right now is just for them to compete, and the game plan and the defensive scheme, that’ll come to them.

On the worst part of having to start two-a-days tomorrow:
Just knowing that you’ve got to do it. That’s the toughest, just waking up that morning and saying, ‘Dang, we’ve got two practices today.’ But once you’re out here, you’re out here. That’s how I see it. Once we cross that bridge right there, I’m like, ‘Let’s go on. Let’s get it rolling.’ But it’s camp. It’s supposed to be tough, so it’s nothing new.

Did you play as a true freshman?
I was gonna play and then a week before Georgia Tech, I broke my foot. I was out until Ole Miss week.

Compare how these young guys are to where you were at that same point.
I think it’s more of a mindset. I came in wanting to play, not caring who was in front. I came in wanting to compete, wanting to get a chance. I knew my job wasn’t going to be a starter, but I just wanted to be in the rotation. I see it out of some guys, but it just depends on where you come from and how you were brought up in high school. It’s a couple guys out here, it’s all new and everything’s going so fast to them and they don’t know how to keep up with the speed of the game. Then you see a few guys like I said, Neiko and D. Hood out here, they’re competing every day and trying their best to keep up. It’s hard for them, but they’re trying and that’s all you can ask for right now.

How much of a concern is it that some young guys are going to have to play?
I don’t think it concerns me. It’s just they need experience. A game or two is gonna help them out. Each week they’re gonna get better. I remember my redshirt freshman year and I came in LSU week, I was the third-string corner and two guys went down. I ended up starting from the second quarter on out. I was a freshman and it was just like (the situation) they’re in right now. I wasn’t a true freshman, but I was a freshman. It’s sorta the same situation. Once they’re out there and they get the reps and the feel for the game, it’ll come naturally to them.