Florida’s quarterback competition took another turn over the weekend, and this time it was Tramell Jones Jr. who walked away with the cleaner scrimmage.
The battle between Jones and Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo remains one of the biggest questions on Florida’s roster this summer, and head coach Jon Sumrall got a fresh look at both quarterbacks during Saturday’s work. According to Pete Nakos of On3, Philo handled most of the first-team reps but was uneven throughout the session, while Jones delivered the stronger performance.
Even with Jones making the more obvious push in the scrimmage, Florida still seems to be leaning on Philo for reasons that go beyond one practice. His connection to offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner gives him a built-in familiarity, and that matters in a competition this close.
Sumrall, speaking to reporters Monday, said the quarterback room as a whole left too many plays on the field. He pointed to three additional interceptions that should have been there in addition to the pick Cormani McClain intercepted from Philo.
He also made clear that Jones still has work to do before the offense can fully trust him in all situations. The biggest issue, Sumrall said, is the pre-snap operation.
“They’ve both earned what they are getting,” Sumrall said, via gatorcountry.com. “I think Tramell’s grown a ton.
The biggest growth he’s got to continue to make is operating from the line of scrimmage, with shifts, motions, those kinds of things. We can’t have a motion called and not bring a guy in motion.
But he’s making plays.
"He’s very comfortable in the pocket, he’s got great energy, he’s got good touch on the football. When things are right, they’re right.
He’s got a bright future. I’m fired up about him.
I really am. I know everybody thinks Philo is the starter because he came with Buster and all this.
And yeah, he had a head start. Both guys are doing some good things and we need both of them to get ready.”
Sumrall hasn’t handed the job to anyone yet, but the optics from Saturday still point toward Philo having the edge. The catch for him is simple: the turnovers have to come down if he wants to keep control of the competition, both in camp and once the games start.
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