Gators quarterback Aaron Philo during Saturday's loss to South Carolina. (Photo: Hannah White/UAA Communications)
Carter's Corner: Philo Questionable, Jones Ready As Gators Prepare For Texas
Thursday, October 15, 2026 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — On Monday, Gators head coach Jon Sumrall addressed questions about quarterback Aaron Philo's performance in the loss to South Carolina and how backup Tramell Jones Jr. fits into the plans.
On Tuesday, offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner did the same.
On Wednesday, after reports surfaced earlier in the day that Philo suffered a shoulder injury against the Gamecocks, Florida listed him as questionable for Saturday's game at No. 7-ranked Texas.
What happens over the next two days will determine if Philo can play against the Longhorns, or whether Jones will make his first career start.
"Tramell can win football games, too,'' Sumrall said. "Tramell is gonna be ready when his number is called, and he's gonna continue to have opportunities as we move forward."
Philo won the starting job in preseason camp and got off to a hot start, leading the Gators to wins in their first four games. He had his worst performance in the 38-19 loss to South Carolina, committing two turnovers.
He threw an interception that gave the Gamecocks a 17-10 second-quarter lead, and he lost a fumble when Gamecocks edge Dylan Stewart dislodged the ball as the Gators drove inside South Carolina's 20-yard line while down 31-13.
Florida has been outscored 83-36 in its last two games as the offense has struggled to mount consistent drives through Philo's passing and tailback Jadan Baugh's running.
"We just got to have better execution — that's where it starts," Faulkner said. "We gotta do a good job of putting them in a position to succeed. We were the aggressor early on … gotta get back to that."
Philo has completed 105 of 149 passes for 1,341 yards, nine touchdowns and two rushing scores. He has thrown three interceptions, two of which were the intended receiver's fault.
Neither Sumrall nor Faulkner blamed Philo for Saturday's loss.
"He really played within himself other than a couple of plays," Faulkner said.
Meanwhile, Jones is 23 of 29 for 252 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He has replaced Philo late in the game the past two weeks.
Sumrall is confident in both players.
"I like our quarterback room. Aaron did some things that he needs to clean up. I'm not saying he played perfect. He didn't,'' Sumrall said. "But it's really easy to critique the quarterback position when we don't block the edge rusher very good. You're getting ready to get smacked, and you have to speed up your process, and you don't get the opportunity to take a good picture of the coverage."
The quarterback play wasn't an issue before the loss at Missouri. The Gators averaged 53.5 points and more than 500 yards in their first four games. In the past two games, the Gators have averaged 18 points and under 400 yards.
Philo hasn't been as sharp, but the offensive line has struggled, and Baugh has rushed for just 72 yards over the past two games after 600 in the first four. The Gators have also been without injured wideout Vernell Brown III, who has missed the past two games due to a knee injury, and a less-than-100-percent Eric Singleton Jr.
Can the offense get back on track at Texas – whether it's Philo or Jones taking snaps?
That is the hottest question on Thursday.
"That's a good group in there. We've gotten out of whack," Faulkner said. "We gotta find a way to get that back, and that starts with me, our staff, getting our guys going. But I have full confidence that we're going to be able to get this thing rolling back in the right direction."
On Tuesday, offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner did the same.
On Wednesday, after reports surfaced earlier in the day that Philo suffered a shoulder injury against the Gamecocks, Florida listed him as questionable for Saturday's game at No. 7-ranked Texas.
What happens over the next two days will determine if Philo can play against the Longhorns, or whether Jones will make his first career start.
"Tramell can win football games, too,'' Sumrall said. "Tramell is gonna be ready when his number is called, and he's gonna continue to have opportunities as we move forward."
Philo won the starting job in preseason camp and got off to a hot start, leading the Gators to wins in their first four games. He had his worst performance in the 38-19 loss to South Carolina, committing two turnovers.
He threw an interception that gave the Gamecocks a 17-10 second-quarter lead, and he lost a fumble when Gamecocks edge Dylan Stewart dislodged the ball as the Gators drove inside South Carolina's 20-yard line while down 31-13.
Florida has been outscored 83-36 in its last two games as the offense has struggled to mount consistent drives through Philo's passing and tailback Jadan Baugh's running.
"We just got to have better execution — that's where it starts," Faulkner said. "We gotta do a good job of putting them in a position to succeed. We were the aggressor early on … gotta get back to that."
Philo has completed 105 of 149 passes for 1,341 yards, nine touchdowns and two rushing scores. He has thrown three interceptions, two of which were the intended receiver's fault.
Neither Sumrall nor Faulkner blamed Philo for Saturday's loss.
"He really played within himself other than a couple of plays," Faulkner said.
Meanwhile, Jones is 23 of 29 for 252 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He has replaced Philo late in the game the past two weeks.
Sumrall is confident in both players.
"I like our quarterback room. Aaron did some things that he needs to clean up. I'm not saying he played perfect. He didn't,'' Sumrall said. "But it's really easy to critique the quarterback position when we don't block the edge rusher very good. You're getting ready to get smacked, and you have to speed up your process, and you don't get the opportunity to take a good picture of the coverage."
The quarterback play wasn't an issue before the loss at Missouri. The Gators averaged 53.5 points and more than 500 yards in their first four games. In the past two games, the Gators have averaged 18 points and under 400 yards.
Philo hasn't been as sharp, but the offensive line has struggled, and Baugh has rushed for just 72 yards over the past two games after 600 in the first four. The Gators have also been without injured wideout Vernell Brown III, who has missed the past two games due to a knee injury, and a less-than-100-percent Eric Singleton Jr.
Can the offense get back on track at Texas – whether it's Philo or Jones taking snaps?
That is the hottest question on Thursday.
"That's a good group in there. We've gotten out of whack," Faulkner said. "We gotta find a way to get that back, and that starts with me, our staff, getting our guys going. But I have full confidence that we're going to be able to get this thing rolling back in the right direction."
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