The Florida Gators are in the midst of a quarterback battle between Aaron Philo and Tramell Jones Jr. this offseason, but who will be named the starter in 2026?
The Florida Gators have a key issue heading into the 2026 college football season.
After the arrival of newly-hired head coach Jon Sumrall, the Gators will look to completely overhaul the future outlook of the team. But the main question surrounding the program before the upcoming season will be who ultimately wins the starting quarterback job in Sumrall’s first year in Gainesville.
In a recent article from Sports Illustrated’s Zach Koons, predicting each starting quarterback in the SEC, Koons believes that former Georgia Tech quarterback Aaron Philo will be the program’s starter heading into 2026.
“Philo seemed to be the clear choice after new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner plucked him from Georgia Tech where the pair had spent the past two seasons together,” Koons wrote. “But Tramell Jones Jr. has made quite the impression on Jon Sumrall, and the Gators’ new head coach is leaning into competition across his roster this offseason.”
Philo vs. Jones Jr. This Summer
![Florida quarterback Aaron Philo (12) passes during the second half of the Orange and Blue game at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, April 11, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]](https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/39b187b7-0ab2-44ca-a686-c6d4b5fdbb97.jpeg)
Florida quarterback Aaron Philo (12) passes during the second half of the Orange and Blue game at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, April 11, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]Philo, a former three-star quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class, began his college career with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. But unfortunately for the young playmaker, he had to wait behind the likes of the team’s former veteran quarterback, Haynes King, which resulted in him receiving minimal playing time in his first two seasons with the program.
Still, Philo did see the field, throwing for 938 passing yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions while maintaining a 57.8 completion percentage.
With Philo having experience under newly-hired offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner throughout their time together with the Yellow Jackets, it’s clear that redshirt sophomore holds a slight advantage over second-year quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. However, Jones did manage to show flashes during the 2025 college football season in his limited playing time, throwing for 191 passing yards and two touchdowns in two games.
Koons also highlighted Jones’ terrific spring campaign and could make a legitimate push for the starting job during the fall.
“Though a decision will be made off of more than one high-profile scrimmage, Jones was much cleaner and could continue his rise into the starting gig with a strong start to fall camp,” Koons wrote.
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