Florida’s trip to Austin got a lot trickier.
The Gators head into Saturday’s matchup with Texas on a two-game skid, and now their quarterback situation is suddenly clouded as well. CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported that Aaron Philo is dealing with an undisclosed injury that has limited him in practice this week, leaving his status for the game up in the air.
That puts Florida in position to possibly turn to true sophomore Tramel Jones, who would be making his first career start if Philo can’t go. The assignment would not come with much margin for error, either.
Texas has dropped only once in 24 games at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium since 2023.
Philo’s road to this point has been a winding one. A former three-star recruit out of Prince Avenue Christian School in Bogart, Georgia, he spent two seasons backing up Haynes King at Georgia Tech before entering the transfer portal and following offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner to Gainesville.
Even with two years in Faulkner’s system already behind him, Philo didn’t simply walk into the job at Florida. He spent much of the offseason battling Jones for the starting role and didn’t officially get the nod until just before the end of fall camp.
For a while, that decision looked like the right one. Florida burst out to a 4-0 start, and Philo played a big part in getting the Gators there. With Jadan Baugh leading a balanced attack and plenty of help at receiver, Florida picked up early wins over Auburn and Ole Miss.
In those two games, Philo combined for 400 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception while completing 31 of 45 throws.
That strong start helped Florida open 4-0 for the first time since Tim Tebow. But the last two weeks have been a different story.
Philo was held in check in a 45-17 loss at Missouri, finishing with 197 passing yards, one touchdown and a 61.8 percent completion rate. Then against South Carolina, he threw for 227 yards and a touchdown, completed 21 of 28 passes and had one interception, but it still wasn’t enough to beat the Gamecocks.
Now Florida may have to navigate all of that against a Texas defense ranked among the best in the country, and do it without the quarterback it planned to lean on.
Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT, with the No.
7 Longhorns hosting the unranked Gators at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
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The staff is spending these weeks watching senior tape and expecting movement as the cycle keeps unfolding, with an emphasis on defensive players and wide receivers. Miami is also looking beyond the immediate board, keeping an eye on future prospects that could include the kind of NFL-type defensive tackles that fit the programs bigger picture. [Read more 🡒]
Darian Mensah Is Keeping Miami In A Huge 2027 Draft Conversation
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Mensahs place in that mix matters because these early rankings are starting to separate the quarterbacks who are just flashing from the ones building something sturdier over time. With Julian Sayin, Drew Mestemaker, Trinidad Chambliss, Jayden Maiava and LaNorris Sellers also in the conversation, the board is crowded, and the next stretch of the season could keep reshuffling it. For Miami, Mensah staying in that discussion is the kind of development that can linger deep into the fall, especially with so much still to be decided. [Read more 🡒]