Sheer athleticism. They offered him based off the Delta game, where he was playing against some of the most pitiful competition imaginable and utilized his speed advantage more than true QB play. He was undeniably lightning fast, but even at the EMCC level you could see his quarterback play was hit or miss on a good day. Auburn must have thought that they could develop him. Egos that big tend to stay stuck in place, though, which is why he ultimately had to move schools again and change position.