The Florida Gators lost DJ Lagway at the outset of the transfer portal, so they needed to find a quarterback to replace him.
While Florida unable to land any of the top signal-callers available, it did bag former Georgia Tech quarterback Aaron Philo, who is expected by most to win the starting job in 2026. Especially with ex-Yellow Jackets offensive coordinator now serving as Jon Sumrall’s play caller in Gainesville.
But is it possible that Philo could ultimately be upended by an in-house option?
Tyler Forness of A to Z Sports thinks so, revealing that Tramell Jones Jr. is actually a threat to beat out Philo for the starting role next season.
“While the Gators did bring in Aaron Philo at quarterback, he’s not at the level where he’s guaranteed to be the starter,” Forness wrote. “Jones decided to stay with the Gators, and it’s likely because he was told he would get a chance to compete for the starting job.”
Forness is right about Philo. He is incredibly unproven and never got the opportunity to be a full-time starter over the course of his two seasons at Georgia Tech. During the time he was on the field, he went 59-for-102 with 938 yards, a couple of touchdowns and three interceptions.
Philo is also just a former three-star recruit, so it’s not like he holds a major edge over Jones in the talent department.
Jones, meanwhile, went 21-for-35 with 191 yards and a pair of touchdowns in two appearances during his freshman campaign at Florida.
Chances are, Philo will end up being under center come the season opener. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Gators brought in both Philo and Faulker this offseason. But Philo definitely does not have a stranglehold on the job.
Lagway was a considerable disappointment throughout his two seasons at Gainesville, so Florida is looking for more stability at the position. Whether or not Philo can provide that remains to be seen, but confidence in him certainly isn’t sky high at the moment. At least not from an outsider’s perspective.
The Gators went 4-8 in 2025 and have posted four losing campaigns over the last five years, marking one of the worst stretches in the history of the program.
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