Oct 27, 2026 1:12 AM
After a stunning upset in Austin, Coach Sumrall faces a high-stakes dilemma: reward Tramell Jones Jr.’s poise or return to the starter who sparked a 4-0 start.
There's no world where this would've been a conversation a few weeks ago, but the Florida Gators now have to seriously consider whether or not they're starting Aaron Philo against Georgia.
Philo didn't play in Austin, so sophomore quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. went out there and had the game of his life.
The Florida native led the Gators to a shocking three-point victory over the then-ranked No. 7 Longhorns team.
With a full week off to help prepare for this showdown against the Georgia Bulldogs, the question is: does Florida stick with the hot hand or go back to the guy who led them to an impressive 4-0 start?
Recency bias is real
Obviously Jones wasn't the only reason why Florida was able to knock off Texas, but he protected the ball and helped lead this team to one of their biggest victories in recent memory.
Florida had nothing to lose in that game, and they certainly didn't overdo it with Jones, as he only averaged 4.4 yards per completion, but he still had to go to a hostile environment and throw the ball 35 times.
In addition to his 155 passing yards with a pair of touchdowns, Jones ran for 41 yards, which was the second most on the team.
Georgia knows that Jadan Baugh is going to be the focal point of this offense, but that won't change whether it's Philo or Jones at QB.
Against the Longhorns, Baugh had 25 carries for 91 yards with a touchdown. His 3.6 yards per carry was a slight improvement from his last two games, but was still nowhere near what this team got out of him in weeks one through four.
Florida should ride the hot hand
The more Florida thinks about this decision, the harder it's going to get. There's no doubt both Jones and Philo were putting in the work during practice this week, as they should, knowing a top-three opponent is on the horizon, but this is a decision that head coach Jon Sumrall is keeping close to his chest.
If all it takes is one bad day of practice to decide who's starting, then that's the decision that needs to be made.
Jones certainly proved his worth in that Longhorns game, and there's a case to be made that he should be rewarded with a second straight start, this time in Atlanta against one of the best defenses in the country.
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