Quarterback Aaron Philo (12) during Saturday night's scrimmage [Photo by Sam Levanthal]
Philo Moves to Top of QB Depth Chart
Monday, August 24, 2026 | Football, Chris Harry
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By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The suspense regarding the Florida quarterback position didn't last very long. Aaron Philo Aaron Philo, the third-year transfer from Georgia Tech, will take the bulk of first-team QB snaps as the Gators prepare for their 2026 season opener Sept. 5 against Florida Atlantic at Spurrier/Florida Field.
UF coach Jon Sumrall made the announcement during his Monday morning news conference, but did so with the disclaimer that Philo's chief competition, sophomore Tramell Jones Jr., remains very much in the mix.
"Love them both, fired up about both of them and grateful for both of their approaches as we've gone through this," Sumrall said during his first media opportunity since the Gators held their final scrimmage of the preseason Saturday night in the Swamp. "But Philo will get the lion's share of the reps with the 1s as we kind of start to try and create some cohesion within our football team to get ready for Game 1. The good news is I've seen Trammel Jones improve so much from April 11th to right now. It's a real battle. It's not been some empty competition. It's been real and that's where we are."
In two seasons at Tech, the 6-foot-1, 207-pound Philo appeared in eight games – almost exclusively as a backup to 2025 Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year Haynes King – and completed 59 of 102 passes for 938 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions, while rushing 16 times for 95 yards and a score.
When Sumrall was hired at Florida last December, he brought in Yellow Jackets offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner. Philo followed Faulker from Tech and had a built-in head start on the system when he entered spring practice.
It was Philo's "operation at the line of scrimmage," Sumrall said, that ultimately gave him the edge. Tramell Jones Jr.
"Tramell has improved a ton, but I still think we're able to operate the full offense at a little bit higher level right now with Aaron, with the whole package. That's probably the biggest separator," said Sumrall, adding their arm talent, running skills and movement metrics are comparable. "Probably the biggest differentiating factor has just been [Philo] being able to maybe get us into the right call, out of the wrong call, check things, alert things, kill things off of defensive pictures, and then maybe see the middle of the field a little bit more in the throw game."
Some of that came into play during the scrimmage Saturday night, with Sumrall saying the offense got the better of the defense under the lights. He gave a special shoutout to the play of the offensive line, a unit with a lot of questions heading into fall camp.
Now, Sumrall and his staff hope it's all coming together, starting with a clearer focus of who will be under center.
"We got good locker room chemistry and culture. We need to keep it there," Sumrall said. "I also talked to both those [QBs]. To Aaron, 'Hey, this is not an anointing. Like, it's not some permanent, you're-just-a-starter forever, because you got to keep playing good.' And for Tramell, it's not like you're being relegated or demoted and forgotten. Like, this is not fatal. I believe in Tramell Jones. Like I'm a believer, I'll go to battle with that dude. So, I'm fired up about both of them. I just feel like right now, it's where we need to go with the decision, but the [team] will rally around both."
Philo, out of Bogart, Georgia, set a state prep record for career passing yards with 13,902, breaking the record that previously belonged to Trevor Lawrence, the future Clemson star and No. 1 overall NFL pick by Jacksonville. He threw 159 touchdowns, including 56 his senior season.
Jones, the 6-foot, 196-pound redshirt freshman from Jacksonville, played in two games as a true freshman last season. He went 21 of 35 for 191 yards and two scores.
