Tramell Jones Jr. isn’t hiding where he stands on Jon Sumrall’s Florida reboot. The redshirt freshman quarterback says he’s bought in, and he sounds convinced the Gators are headed in the right direction as training camp approaches.
Florida opens camp in a few weeks, with the first practice set for July 30. The biggest spotlight will land on the quarterback battle, where Jones and Aaron Philo are set to fight it out for the Week 1 job against Florida Atlantic on September 5.
Jones recently sat down with Jacksonville-area sports reporter Stuart Webber for a wide-ranging interview that covered his development, his second season, and the energy Sumrall has brought into the program.
The quarterback was among the key players Sumrall managed to keep in the fold after replacing Billy Napier, and Jones echoed the same message others around the team have shared about the new staff.
"We see the vision. We saw Coach Sumrall's energy.
He had a vision for us, and they're giving us a fair opportunity," Jones said. "We want to be Florida Gators.
We want to build this team back up to where it used to be, and we want to be successful here."
The battle with Philo has been a productive one, not a divisive one. Jones said the two quarterbacks get along well and push each other. Philo, of course, comes in with a built-in edge in Buster Faulkner’s offense because of his time with him at Georgia Tech, but Jones said he’s catching on and making sure he learns the system in a way that sticks.
He said he spends plenty of time at the whiteboard working through the play designs, and he described himself as a visual learner.
"I'm a visual learner. I like to see it for myself. Taking the extra time with the coaches and asking the questions that need to be asked," Jones explained.
Jones also pointed to the competition itself as part of his growth. He was the primary backup behind DJ Lagway last season, but he admitted he was still working back from an injury he suffered as a senior at Mandarin High School in Jacksonville. This year, he looks bigger and more physically developed.
"Competing has made everyone better. Not just on the football field, but in the weight room and how early we are getting to the building," Jones said.
"It's the standard that [Sumrall] has set for us. You can just see the difference from last year."
Jones was one of the more encouraging surprises of spring camp, and while Philo still appears to have the better odds to win the job, Jones showed enough arm talent to turn heads. He looked confident making every throw, and even if he doesn’t open the season as the starter, there’s a strong chance he finds his way onto the field this fall.
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