Florida’s quarterback picture suddenly looks a lot less settled heading into Week 10.
The Gators listed Aaron Philo and Tramell Jones Jr. as co-starters ahead of Saturday’s matchup with Oklahoma, signaling that the job is back open after Florida’s 27-8 loss to Georgia. It’s the first time this season the program has used an official “or” designation at quarterback.
Head coach Jon Sumrall made it clear Monday that he isn’t ready to hand out a public answer just yet.
"There will be one guy that starts and one guy that doesn't out of the two guys you're probably worried about. I'm not gonna make a big quarterback-one announcement.
I have a plan that is already kind of in motion and in place. But I don't know that it helps us with me naming a starter today," Sumrall said on Monday.
Both quarterbacks were on the practice field Monday, but Sumrall said he does not plan to announce a starter before Saturday.
The move comes after Philo had a rough outing against Georgia’s defense. He completed 5 of 7 passes for 26 yards, and both of his incompletions were intercepted. Jones entered after Philo struggled and went 17 of 24 for 172 yards, while also scoring Florida’s only rushing touchdown.
Philo has started seven of Florida’s eight games this season, while Jones has played in seven games and made one start. Now the Gators are left with uncertainty at one of the most important spots on the field as they try to steady themselves after a tough stretch. Florida has lost three of its last four conference games.
At 5-3, the Gators are also staring at a key checkpoint in the season as they push toward bowl eligibility.
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Florida Faces A Tricky Oklahoma QB Situation After Major Shakeup
Oklahomas offense is heading into the Florida game with a new voice in the booth after the Sooners fired offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle following a disappointing Week 9 showing. Head coach Brent Venables has moved quickly to steady things by naming Jason Witten as the interim offensive playcaller, a notable shakeup with the Gators now preparing for a team that is trying to regroup on the fly.
Even with the change on the sideline, Venables plans to stick with senior John Mateer as the starting quarterback against Florida. Mateer has had an inconsistent season, but he came out of the South Carolina game with a solid performance, which gives Oklahoma at least one familiar piece as it tries to sort out the rest of its offense before facing the Gators. [Read more 🡒]
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Jon Sumrall said Williams could be in line for more snaps as injuries have thinned the receiving corps, turning a young depth chart into a more immediate opportunity. Florida also has other freshmen and first-year transfers making progress in practice, which gives the staff some options as it tries to patch together production now while also building for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Suddenly Faces A Bigger Problem Than Just Losing To Georgia
The loss to Georgia did more than dent Floridas playoff path. It left Jon Sumrall looking for signs that his team can absorb a gut punch and keep moving, because the next stretch will tell him plenty about where this group really stands. Sumrall said the Gators have to own the defeat and turn quickly toward the games still in front of them if they want to keep a nine-win season within reach.
That task is made tougher by what comes next, with Oklahoma, Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Florida State still on the schedule. Florida no longer has the luxury of dwelling on what happened in Jacksonville, and the bigger question now is whether the Gators can respond with the kind of emotional toughness that keeps a season from slipping away. [Read more 🡒]