Gators head coach Jon Sumrall locks in during Saturday's scrimmage at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. (Photo: Hannah White/UAA Communications)
The Competition Continues: Florida's Next Quarterback Awaits
Monday, August 17, 2026 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — On the night of Sept. 5, when the Gators host Florida Atlantic in their 2026 season opener, either Aaron Philo or Tramell Jones Jr. will become UF's 20th different starting quarterback since Tim Tebow's magical run.
That is unless first-year head coach Jon Sumrall, copying Will Muschamp's playbook in 2012, sends both onto the field the way Muschamp did Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel in the season opener against Bowling Green.
In the wake of Florida's first scrimmage of preseason camp on Saturday, Sumrall met with reporters Monday to review the scrimmage. Sumrall, after serving up an injury report, concluded: "I know you guys are going to want to talk about the quarterbacks, I'm guessing."
Sumrall's first season differs from his predecessor, Billy Napier, in that when Napier arrived in 2022, Florida's quarterback situation was essentially settled for one of the few times since Tebow's departure, with Anthony Richardson primed to enter his first season as the full-time starter.
That has been a rarity for most of the past 16 seasons, due in part to a steady stream of coaching changes, transfers, injuries and inconsistency. The most settled stretch at the position since Tebow was in 2018 when Feleipe Franks started all 13 games, suffered a season-ending injury and passed the torch to Kyle Trask during an 11-win 2019 season, and in 2020 when Trask put together one of the best seasons in program history and was a Heisman Trophy finalist.
Whatever optimism accompanied DJ Lagway's emergence in 2024 is now part of Florida's rearview mirror, and Sumrall and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner are now in the midst of rebuilding the position in a way that fits Faulkner's scheme and Sumrall's expectations.
Philo and Jones have competed for the job since spring, and based on what Sumrall said Monday, that remains the case after Saturday's scrimmage at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
"I like what both have done,'' Sumrall said. "Neither one is like just light years ahead of the other. They're both doing really good things. The one thing they both have to continue to work on is who's going to operate the best at line-of-scrimmage play."
With two seasons in Faulkner's offense at Georgia Tech, Philo owned a distinct advantage in that area after spring camp. He understood the intricacies of the various pre-snap motions and movement in Faulkner's formations and play-calling.
Jones had a lot of homework to do to make it a battle.
"Philo was way ahead because of understanding the offense, and Tramell was significantly behind,'' Sumrall said. "I think they've both taken some steps up. Tramell has probably had more upward mobility, room to grow, because he's learning the offense. I think they are both playing really good football. I'm not going to sit here and say one guy is way ahead because they are both doing good work, but I do feel like we're in the position where nobody is going to take the snap game one, snap one, because the other guy has done a poor job.
"It's gonna be because he executed at a little bit of a higher level, whoever it is, and it's not, but we're at a place now where both guys are playing good football."
In Saturday's scrimmage, Philo tossed a touchdown pass and an interception. However, he didn't wilt in the hot Florida sun after being picked off by Cormani McClain.
"That was the most impressive thing to me of his scrimmage,'' Sumrall said. "Bad play, and then followed it up with really good football afterward."
Jones showed off his arm on certain plays but did not have a signature moment. Both had passes that could have been intercepted but were dropped, Sumrall said.
In other words, the battle stretches deep into camp.
Philo transferred from Georgia Tech with trust already established with Faulkner. Jones has done his part to make it a competition. There's a good chance that both could play in the first two games as the Gators try to build an identity with home games against FAU and Campbell.
And not just at quarterback.
"I do think in the first couple games, you're going to see us play a few different rotations [on the offensive line]. It has nothing to do with who we play; it's because we gotta figure out who we are,'' Sumrall said. "I'm still not completely sure yet. I have some ideas, but until you go do it against someone wearing a different color jersey, you don't ever really know."
Sumrall said the Gators will enter game-mode next Monday, preparing during the week as if they are opening Aug. 29 instead of the following week. He wants to create urgency as camp winds down.
Meanwhile, he and Faulkner will keep evaluating the quarterbacks and see where they land. Philo is less of a mystery. Jones is much less of one today than when they arrived.
"They've both earned what they are getting,'' Sumrall said. "Tramell's grown a ton. The biggest growth he's got to continue to make is operating from the line of scrimmage, with shifts, motions, those kind of things. We can't have a motion called and not bring a guy in motion. But he's making plays. He's very comfortable in the pocket; he's got great energy; he's got good touch on the football. When things are right, they're right. He's got a bright future. I'm fired up about him. I really am. I know everybody thinks, like, Philo is the starter because he came with Buster and all this. And yeah, he had a head start.
"Both guys are doing some good things, and we need both of them to get ready."
*****
Note: *Driskel started at receiver, took over at quarterback on next play; **Las Vegas Bowl
That is unless first-year head coach Jon Sumrall, copying Will Muschamp's playbook in 2012, sends both onto the field the way Muschamp did Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel in the season opener against Bowling Green.
In the wake of Florida's first scrimmage of preseason camp on Saturday, Sumrall met with reporters Monday to review the scrimmage. Sumrall, after serving up an injury report, concluded: "I know you guys are going to want to talk about the quarterbacks, I'm guessing."
Sumrall's first season differs from his predecessor, Billy Napier, in that when Napier arrived in 2022, Florida's quarterback situation was essentially settled for one of the few times since Tebow's departure, with Anthony Richardson primed to enter his first season as the full-time starter.
That has been a rarity for most of the past 16 seasons, due in part to a steady stream of coaching changes, transfers, injuries and inconsistency. The most settled stretch at the position since Tebow was in 2018 when Feleipe Franks started all 13 games, suffered a season-ending injury and passed the torch to Kyle Trask during an 11-win 2019 season, and in 2020 when Trask put together one of the best seasons in program history and was a Heisman Trophy finalist.
Whatever optimism accompanied DJ Lagway's emergence in 2024 is now part of Florida's rearview mirror, and Sumrall and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner are now in the midst of rebuilding the position in a way that fits Faulkner's scheme and Sumrall's expectations.
Philo and Jones have competed for the job since spring, and based on what Sumrall said Monday, that remains the case after Saturday's scrimmage at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
"I like what both have done,'' Sumrall said. "Neither one is like just light years ahead of the other. They're both doing really good things. The one thing they both have to continue to work on is who's going to operate the best at line-of-scrimmage play."
With two seasons in Faulkner's offense at Georgia Tech, Philo owned a distinct advantage in that area after spring camp. He understood the intricacies of the various pre-snap motions and movement in Faulkner's formations and play-calling.
Jones had a lot of homework to do to make it a battle.
"Philo was way ahead because of understanding the offense, and Tramell was significantly behind,'' Sumrall said. "I think they've both taken some steps up. Tramell has probably had more upward mobility, room to grow, because he's learning the offense. I think they are both playing really good football. I'm not going to sit here and say one guy is way ahead because they are both doing good work, but I do feel like we're in the position where nobody is going to take the snap game one, snap one, because the other guy has done a poor job.
"It's gonna be because he executed at a little bit of a higher level, whoever it is, and it's not, but we're at a place now where both guys are playing good football."
In Saturday's scrimmage, Philo tossed a touchdown pass and an interception. However, he didn't wilt in the hot Florida sun after being picked off by Cormani McClain.
"That was the most impressive thing to me of his scrimmage,'' Sumrall said. "Bad play, and then followed it up with really good football afterward."
Jones showed off his arm on certain plays but did not have a signature moment. Both had passes that could have been intercepted but were dropped, Sumrall said.
In other words, the battle stretches deep into camp.
Philo transferred from Georgia Tech with trust already established with Faulkner. Jones has done his part to make it a competition. There's a good chance that both could play in the first two games as the Gators try to build an identity with home games against FAU and Campbell.
And not just at quarterback.
"I do think in the first couple games, you're going to see us play a few different rotations [on the offensive line]. It has nothing to do with who we play; it's because we gotta figure out who we are,'' Sumrall said. "I'm still not completely sure yet. I have some ideas, but until you go do it against someone wearing a different color jersey, you don't ever really know."
Sumrall said the Gators will enter game-mode next Monday, preparing during the week as if they are opening Aug. 29 instead of the following week. He wants to create urgency as camp winds down.
Meanwhile, he and Faulkner will keep evaluating the quarterbacks and see where they land. Philo is less of a mystery. Jones is much less of one today than when they arrived.
"They've both earned what they are getting,'' Sumrall said. "Tramell's grown a ton. The biggest growth he's got to continue to make is operating from the line of scrimmage, with shifts, motions, those kind of things. We can't have a motion called and not bring a guy in motion. But he's making plays. He's very comfortable in the pocket; he's got great energy; he's got good touch on the football. When things are right, they're right. He's got a bright future. I'm fired up about him. I really am. I know everybody thinks, like, Philo is the starter because he came with Buster and all this. And yeah, he had a head start.
"Both guys are doing some good things, and we need both of them to get ready."
*****
ROOKIE STARTERS
A look at the first-time starts for Gators quarterbacks in the post-Tim Tebow era:| QUARTERBACK | YEAR | STATS/RESULT |
| Aidan Warner | 2024 | 12 of 25, 132 yards, 2 INT in 49-17 loss at Texas |
| DJ Lagway | 2024 | 18 of 25, 456 yards, 3 TD in 45-7 win over Samford |
| Max Brown | 2023 | 9 of 16, 86 yards, 1 INT in 24-15 loss to FSU |
| Graham Mertz | 2023 | 31 of 44, 333 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT in 24-11 loss at Utah |
| Jack Miller III | 2022 | 13 of 22, 180 yards in 30-3 loss to Oregon State** |
| Anthony Richardson | 2021 | 12 of 20, 82 yards, 2 INT in 34-7 loss to Georgia |
| Emory Jones | 2021 | 17 of 27, 113 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT in 35-14 win over FAU |
| Kyle Trask | 2019 | 20 of 28, 293 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT in 34-3 win over Tennessee |
| Feleipe Franks | 2017 | 5 of 9, 75 yards in 33-17 loss to Michigan in Arlington, Texas |
| Malik Zaire | 2017 | 13 of 19, 158 yards, 1 INT in 45-16 loss at Missouri |
| Austin Appleby | 2016 | 23 of 39, 296 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT in 38-28 loss at Tennessee |
| Luke Del Rio | 2016 | 29 of 44, 256 yards, 2 TD in 24-7 win over UMass |
| Will Grier | 2015 | 10 of 17, 151 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT in win over East Carolina |
| Treon Harris | 2014 | 3 of 6, 27 yards as Gators rushed for 418 to upset Georgia |
| Skyler Mornhinweg | 2013 | 10 of 13 for 107 yards, 1 INT in 19-14 loss at South Carolina |
| Tyler Murphy | 2013 | 15 of 18, 156 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT in 24-7 win at Kentucky |
| Jeff Driskel* | 2012 | 10 of 16, 114 yards, 1 TD in 27-14 win over Bowling Green |
| Jacoby Brissett | 2011 | 8 of 14, 94 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT in 41-11 loss at No. 1 LSU |
| John Brantley | 2010 | 17 of 25, 113 yards, 2 TD in 34-12 win over Miami (Ohio) |
Note: *Driskel started at receiver, took over at quarterback on next play; **Las Vegas Bowl
Players Mentioned
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