Aaron Philo is expected to get the start against Georgia, but that only settles part of the quarterback conversation for Florida.
The debate has been simmering ever since Philo couldn’t play against Texas, opening the door for Tramell Jones to steer the Gators to a win in Austin. Jones took advantage of the opportunity, especially in the second half, and that performance quickly turned the quarterback spot into a two-week argument. Now, with UGA next, Philo appears poised to reclaim the job he opened the season with.
The case for Philo is pretty straightforward: he was the starter for a reason, and he knows Buster Faulker’s offense. The case for Jones is just as easy to understand.
He brings a little more pop to his throws and looks a touch more dangerous as a runner, traits that can matter a lot against defenses like Texas and UGA. Jones also shook off a rough beginning in Austin and made a few key plays, while Philo never had that same kind of bounce-back against Missouri or South Carolina.
Philo’s defenders can fairly point out that he wasn’t the main culprit in those losses. Against South Carolina, he did have a pair of turnovers, though one of them came after a pass bounced off a receiver’s hands. As for Missouri, that game looked broken across the board, and neither quarterback was going to suddenly solve what LaNorris Sellers and Nyck Harbor were doing.
That’s what makes this decision so messy: both things can be true. Jones clearly helped Florida beat Texas in ways Philo did not against Missouri or South Carolina.
At the same time, Jones didn’t single-handedly win that game, either. His fourth down throw to Dallas Wilson before halftime and his third down run to help close it out were huge moments, but the win was still an ensemble effort.
And if the rest of the team had played in Austin the way it played against Missouri and South Carolina, those Jones highlights wouldn’t have looked quite so decisive anyway.
There’s also a chance the staff didn’t have a clean choice to make in the first place. Neither quarterback is fully healthy, and Jon Sumrall has not been especially open about that.
He said on Monday that Jones had “bumps and bruises” after his first real action against Texas, which sounded about right after the hits that come with a football game. By Wednesday, though, Jones was listed as questionable, and Philo was on that same report.
From the outside, it all feels a little overcomplicated. The two quarterbacks are close enough that the prep work doesn’t change dramatically from one to the other.
This isn’t some dramatic Leak-or-Tebow type of situation. And if there were a big enough talent gap to make the answer obvious, it probably would’ve shown up already.
Jones has some physical advantages, but Philo has three years of experience in Faulkner’s system, while Jones has one.
Florida has won with both. The Gators beat Texas with Jones, but they also put up big numbers against Auburn and Ole Miss with Philo. At this point, it looks more likely that Vernell Brown III matters more to the offense than which quarterback is behind center.
Still, this is the biggest in-season quarterback call Sumrall has had to make so far, and it comes with his first major rivalry game hanging over it.
In Other News...
Tim Tebow Calls Out What Had Florida Falling Apart Vs Georgia
Floridas trip to Jacksonville got away from it fast, and by halftime the problems were plain enough for Tim Tebow and Roman Harper to pick apart on the broadcast. The Gators were staring at a 24-0 deficit, and the story of the first half was less about one bad break than a steady unraveling built on turnovers, penalties and Georgia controlling the clock.
Two interceptions and a fumble returned for a touchdown by Chris Cole left Florida with little margin for error and even less momentum. Tebow and Harper pointed to the need for cleaner execution and suggested the offense might need more quarterback runs to change the rhythm in the second half, a reminder that the Gators were searching for answers as much as points. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Blew Another Georgia Shot Before The Game Even Started
Floridas latest meeting with Georgia brought another round of questions about the quarterback plan, and this time the answer came before the game had really settled in. Jon Sumrall opened with Aaron Philo under center, a choice that carried obvious risk given the concerns around his readiness, and the early offense never found much footing as the Gators struggled to protect the ball and get into any kind of rhythm.
After Philos second interception, Sumrall turned to Tramell Jones in an attempt to steady things, but by then Florida was already digging out of a hole it could not climb out of. The turnovers fed directly into a 31-8 loss, leaving the Gators to sort through not just another defeat to Georgia, but a decision at quarterback that shaped the game long before the final score did. [Read more 🡒]
Floridas Georgia Upset Hopes Suddenly Hinge On One Late Question
Florida heads to Atlanta with a familiar kind of pressure hanging over this rivalry game, and the latest wrinkle is the status of wide receiver Vernell Brown III. After being downgraded to questionable on the injury report, Brown has become one of the key variables in a matchup where Florida already needs things to break right on both sides of the ball. The Gators are trying to solve a Georgia defense that can make life difficult for any offense, and Browns availability matters because Florida will need as much reliable production as it can get.
On the other side, Floridas upset path also depends on whether its blitz-heavy approach can bother Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton enough to tilt the game. The Gators have spent plenty of time looking for ways to create disruption, but the margin for error against Georgia is thin, especially if Florida is shorthanded at receiver. With so much of the preview tied to one late injury question and one defensive gamble, the buildup to Atlanta has a very specific kind of tension to it. [Read more 🡒]