Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun
Jun 11, 2026 6:08 PM
With DJ Lagway gone, a shaky spring performance from Aaron Philo leaves Florida HC Jon Sumrall facing a high-stakes quarterback dilemma amidst lofty expectations and a grueling SEC schedule.
Losing DJ Lagway to Baylor this offseason could come back to bite the Florida Gators this fall.
New head coach Jon Sumrall was asked repeatedly about the quarterback battle between Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo and Tramell Jones Jr. during spring football. Sumrall tried to downplay the battle, noting that the Gators needed to see better play from the offensive line and defense.
In Year 1, everything needs to be rebuilt for Sumrall, but the Gators are already facing lofty expectations for the upcoming season. UF is expected to be a Top 25 in the preseason poll, and how the team does this fall will impact recruiting.
Philo didn't have his best performance in the Orange & Blue game, and Jones has a legitimate chance to win the competition this summer.
David Cobb of CBS Sports appears to think Philo will win the job, but ranked him as the No. 5 quarterback making a reunion at a new school with a former coach. In this case, Philo knows offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, who was his OC at Georgia Tech.
In that category, Cobb ranked Philo behind Drew Mestemaker of Oklahoma State, Byrum Brown of Auburn, Rocco Becht of Penn State, and Ethan Grunkemeyer of Virginia Tech.
The fact that Philo is thought to be behind those quarterbacks is a serious concern for a program that former Florida head coach Steve Spurrier believes can win nine or more games this fall.
"Philo is a mystery, as he saw limited game action in his first two seasons," Cobb wrote.
"But he's not a mystery to Florida offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner. The two were together at Georgia Tech, and Faulkner thought enough of Philo to recruit him to Gainesville to help launch the Jon Sumrall era."
The offense might not be a mystery to Philo, but his play in the spring exhibition was. The young quarterback could develop into a better player during training camp, but there is a worry that the eventual winner of the battle might not be ready to lead the Gators through a nine-game SEC schedule.
It's a shame, because UF has talented receivers.
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