Aaron Philo is bruised, beaten, and might not be available to play No. 7 Texas

The injuries have been a big reason that the Florida Gators offense has been stuck in neutral for the past few weeks, and now we could be looking at a change at quarterback.

Aaron Philo has been limited in practice this week, and his status for Saturday's game against No. 7 Texas is in doubt. Philo has started in all six games this season and played the majority of the snaps in each game, going the full way in a 44-39 win against Auburn.

Philo is expected to be listed as questionable when the first availability report is released later Wednesday evening. Tramell Jones, who has appeared in five of the six games this season, would be the starter if Philo can't go. Jones has appeared mostly in reserve time this season, but last year he played about half the game in a loss to Kentucky. Jones, a former four-star recruit out of Jacksonville, challenged Philo for the starting role in training camp.

Aaron Philo's status is in doubt with No. 7 Texas ahead

Philo has put together a solid season, completing over 70% of his passes for 1,341 yards and nine touchdowns and three interceptions. He has also been a pretty tough runner, taking on 44 carries this season. It's hard to say where Philo got injured, but a good guess would be the wear and tear he's dealt with when running the ball. In the loss to South Carolina, Philo had a season-high 13 carries for 32 yards and took a lot of hits. 

David Waters from Gators Breakdown has identified a play in the fourth quarter where Philo was clearly shaken up after being tackled by Kelby Collins on a scramble.

That's a nasty hit. Collins is listed at 6-foot-4, 285 pounds, but he looks heavier, and every bit of that mass came crashing down on that right side. 

Aaron Philo might need to sit this week out

After seeing that play, I can appreciate Philo's toughness, but I also think that he might need to take the week off. Florida has a bye after Saturday's game, and that would give Philo three weeks between starts, with Georgia coming up in Atlanta on October 31. 

Also, Philo's arm strength isn't exactly elite to start with, and a sore shoulder is going to really affect his ability in the passing game. If Jones plays, it might actually open up a vertical passing game that's been hampered for the past few weeks.

Jon Sumrall announced Monday that Jones has been getting additional reps, and he wouldn't hesitate to play him in a full game.

"I want to make sure we continue to [develop] him because I believe in Tramell. I've said this publicly: I think Trammell can be our starting quarterback here, and we can win football games," he said.

So, there's the issue of letting Philo's body heal and the prospects of adding some more explosive passing in the offense. But there also might be some curiosity from the staff to see Jones in a full game. I don't think we're anywhere near approaching a QB controversy, but giving Jones the ball for a week to see what he's got might not be the worst thing for a Florida offense that needs a boost.

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