Like a few of his offensive teammates, Philo followed offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner to Gainesville. A Bogart, Georgia native, Philo spent two seasons at Georgia Tech, playing in eight games and making one start last season. In 2024, he had 565 passing yards and one touchdown pass to go along with 76 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. Last season in his start against Gardner-Webb, Philo was 21 of 28 (75%) passing, throwing for 373 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The performance earned him ACC Rookie of the Week honors. Now, Philo has been handed the reins at Florida.
Quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. turned the competition with Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo into an extended battle. (Photo: Ethan Roy/UAA Communications)
Jones was the only other quarterback besides DJ Lagway to start for Florida last season, and he entered the offseason competing with Philo for the job. Jones threw for 131 yards and two touchdowns against LIU in his collegiate debut in Week 1 last year. He also appeared in a Gator loss to Kentucky, where he threw for 60 yards. Jones has impressed Florida's new staff with his arm and play-making ability. Philo had an edge in Faulkner's playbook at pre-snap adjustments, but according to coaches, Jones has made significant strides to close the gap.
Warner, a former Yale quarterback, walked on at Florida in 2024. He played in six games his first season at UF, attempting passes in four and starting one road game against Texas. He finished 2024 with 288 passing yards, three interceptions and a rushing touchdown. Freshman Will Griffin was a four-star recruit out of Jesuit High School in Tampa. He was the 2025-26 Gatorade Florida Football Player of the Year. An Elite 11 finalist, Griffin became the 10th quarterback in Florida high school history to surpass 10,000 yards and is second all-time in passing touchdowns. Aaron Williams is a walk-on from Orlando who played at Winter Park. Joe Craddock coaches the group. He served as Sumrall's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2022-25 at Troy and Tulane and previously held offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach roles at Arkansas and SMU.
Forecast for season opener: Philo will start, with Jones serving as the backup. Warner and Griffin provide additional depth if needed. In the first two games, both Philo and Jones are expected to play and take meaningful snaps.
Speculation: Naming Philo the Week 1 starter does not necessarily mean the competition is over. Jones is expected to continue pushing Philo, and Sumrall has emphasized that the quarterbacks will compete with one another rather than against one another. Philo will get the first opportunity, but his grip on the job will ultimately depend on his performance.
Quote of note: "I'm honored, and I don't take it lightly at all. I don't take this position for granted at all. I'm very blessed, I'm very honored, and it's something that I worked my whole life to get to." — Philo on being named starting quarterback
