Florida will open the 2025 season with Aaron Philo under center.
Coach Jon Sumrall announced that the redshirt sophomore has won the starting quarterback job for the Week 1 matchup against Florida Atlantic on Sept. 5 at The Swamp. Kickoff is set for 7:45 p.m. on SEC Network.
Philo, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 207 pounds, enters the role with a clear advantage in one area that mattered to the staff: comfort in the offense. He has prior experience working with new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, who joined the Gators from Georgia Tech last December.
That background matters, especially after a fall camp battle that stretched all the way to the end. Philo edged out returning redshirt freshman Tramell Jones Jr. for the job, with Sumrall pointing to Philo’s ability to handle things at the line of scrimmage as the separator.
“it came down to Philo being able to operate the offense better at the line of scrimmage.”
Sumrall said he finalized the call after UF’s second intrasquad scrimmage on August 22, following meetings with both quarterbacks.
Philo’s college résumé is short but notable. In eight games at Georgia Tech while backing up Haynes King, he threw for 938 yards with 2 TDs and 3 interceptions.
He also arrived with a decorated high school track record. Rated a three-star prospect by Rivals, 247Sports and ESPN, Philo finished his prep career as Georgia high school football’s all-time leader in passing yards with 13,922. That mark topped the previous record held by current Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who had 13,902 yards at Cartersville High School from 2014-17.
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