Charles Davis Urges Florida to Start Aaron Philo vs. Georgia
Oct 28, 2026 6:35 PM

As the Gators prepare for a high-stakes rivalry clash in Atlanta, Charles Davis weighs in on whether Jon Sumrall should stick with momentum or return to experience.

The Florida Gators had to make a switch at quarterback in Austin after Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo was ruled out.

Tramell Jones Jr. stepped into the spotlight, and to say he lived up to the hype would be an understatement.

This is a Gators team that was coming off a pair of horrific losses, but somehow, Jones gave them the spark they needed on the road against a top-10 team.

Florida got the job done, and now Philo has had a full two weeks to rest and prepare for this showdown against the Georgia Bulldogs.

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Recently, CBS Sports' Charles Davis broke down who he thinks should be the Gators' starting quarterback in Week 9.

Davis believes the Gators should go with Philo

"If Philo's 100% healthy, I go back to Philo. He won that job for a reason," Davis said. 

He added, "The downside for Florida, no matter who plays quarterback, Georgia just got beat by Auburn... you know how Kirby Smart is."

Davis noted that this isn't the traditional Florida vs. Georgia game in Jacksonville. He said, "There is no neutral site in Atlanta," and that'll also be something either Philo or Jones has to battle through on Halloween.

Come Saturday, Oct. 31, head coach Jon Sumrall has a major decision to make. Obviously, he'll be closely monitoring both QBs through the week and probably already has a decision made up in the back of his mind, but he's not ready to reveal it to the public, and for good reason.

Both teams just had a full week off, so Florida needs to take any advantage it can get over the No. 3-ranked team in the country.

Philo had the highest of highs and lowest of lows

One of the biggest things to monitor with Philo is how low things can get. Sure, he took down Auburn and Ole Miss, but these Gators were quickly humbled with the two losses to follow.

Philo has the much bigger sample size this season, and who knows if there was any beginner's luck behind what Jones did against Texas.

Consistency is key, and while Philo may be 0-2 in his last two starts, as Davis said, Florida named him QB1 for a reason.

Jones's signature win definitely speaks volumes as to how well he led the offense, but Jon Sumrall knows he can't base the biggest game of the year on a one-game sample size.

At the end of the day, Philo's health will likely determine whether he plays or not, and that's something Florida has been keeping close to its chest.

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