GAINESVILLE — Aaron Philo and Tramell Jones Jr.’s quarterback competition renews this week, but could continue for some time.
Read more Orange County’s new District 7 has 12 commission candidates to choose from
The race might even remain unsettled until right before Florida takes the field for its season opener.
Jon Sumrall’s timeline represents a coach in no rush to make one of the critical decisions he faces when his team opens preseason camp Wednesday.
“It may be five minutes before the game before anybody finds out,” Sumrall said July 22 at SEC Media Days.
Philo and Jones ended spring practices with neither holding a clear edge.
“Right now, in my mind, I’m not trying to make it coach-speak, I view us as having two starters today,” Sumrall said.
The 6-foot-1, 208 Philo benefitted from his familiarity with offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner’s scheme after following him from Georgia Tech, where the two spent the previous two seasons together. But a strong spring game by the 6-foot, 199-pound Jones kept the redshirt freshman from Jacksonville firmly in the race entering the offseason.
After spring practices, Sumrall met individually with both quarterbacks.
“I sat down and told them, ‘Hey, this is if we started a game next week. This is who would start. This is who would not. It’s not final. It’s not fatal. And we don’t play a game next week,’” he recalled.
Between now and Florida’s Sept. 5 opener against Florida Atlantic in the Swamp, both signal callers will be evaluated on their ability to operate the offense efficiently, limit mistakes and involve the team’s deep group of playmakers.
“There’s a lot of things to go in the decision: Consistency is the biggest,” Sumrall said. “Make good decisions. You can’t forget to bring guys in motion. You got to operate. It’s not a one-hit wonder.
Read more Orlando Sentinel 150: Central Florida’s major role in state, national politics
“It’s who stacks days.”
The old saying goes that if you have two quarterbacks, you have none. Sumrall, though, believes the competition between Philo and Jones gives the Gators their best chance to succeed in 2026.
Whoever emerges as the starter will still have to earn the right to keep the top job.
“Just because you start Game 1 doesn’t mean you start Game 12,” Sumrall said.
Sumrall pointed to his first season at Troy in 2022, where injuries and inconsistency forced him to play both Gunnar Watson and Jarrett Doege.
“I don’t love the quarterback shuffle deal,” Sumrall said. “But I don’t have a blueprint for how it’s gonna go. We’re gonna do what we have to do, try to help position Florida football to win games.”
That competitive mindset has carried over to Philo and Jones.
“They work very, very hard together,” tailback Jadan Baugh said. “But they also understand that it’s a job that they’re fighting for, and they’re ready to compete for it. But it’s more a positive competitiveness, and they’re just ready to do it.”
Sophomore receiver Vernell Brown III said the Gators will be in good hands regardless of who wins the job.
“I don’t even pay attention to who’s back there half the time,” he said. “I just know I’m gonna get a good ball, so I’m confident that we’ll be all right.”
Read more Six Ravens, a new brand from Gideon’s Bakehouse, soft opens Monday at Disney Springs
Edgar Thompson can be reached at [email protected]