Friendzoned. Should I play hard to get?

Texting him used to be like pulling teeth and I was clingy. He friend-zoned me in February. We stopped texting for a while. He went to college, the same one I am going to next year. The girl he thought he was getting back with didn't want him back, he didn't make a lot of new friends in college and he became lonely.

We started texting again when I applied and got accepted there. Now he starts a good portion of convos out of the blue and they're are exciting, interesting, and deep. I haven't replied to the last text yet. If I play hard to get, can I gain the upper hand and get him to chase me? It's shallow but I think it would work. I need him to know I won't accept being his replacement or "last resort" when he's lonely even if I have feelings for him.