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Aaron Philo’s reported return puts Jon Sumrall’s QB philosophy to the test

Florida’s return to Aaron Philo comes with a question only Jon Sumrall can answer
ByBenjamin Henderson
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Oct 10, 2026; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Aaron Philo (12) throws the ball against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
Oct 10, 2026; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Aaron Philo (12) throws the ball against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After two weeks of speculation, Florida appears set to return the starting QB job to Aaron Philo. Tramell Jones got the start against Texas and led the win after Philo was hurt against South Carolina, but Pete Nakos and Zach Abolverdi of On3, as well as Zach Goodall of Swamp247, are reporting that Philo is set to take it back.

It’s not a move that surprises anyone paying attention. The question is how long of a leash Philo will get against Georgia if he struggles early.

Aaron Philo to start for Florida against Georgia

We are going to stick with the narrative we wrote about in Florida’s losses against Missouri and South Carolina:

Aaron Philo wasn’t the problem in those losses, but he also wasn’t the solution. 

That’s why, even before it was revealed that Philo hurt his shoulder against South Carolina, there was a decent chunk of Florida’s fanbase that wanted to see what Jones could do. On paper, Jones has a higher ceiling and a bit more playmaking ability. 

But it should also be noted that in Florida’s losses, Philo was missing Vernell Brown III as a downfield target. Missouri and South Carolina loaded up the box and dared Florida to get in behind them.

Spoiler alert:

They didn’t.

So is Jon Sumrall making the right call to go back to Philo rather than stick with Jones?

It’s hard to say. The thesis that Jones has the better arm strength didn’t really shine against Texas. He threw for just 155 yards on 22 completions, averaging 4.4 yards per attempt. His ADOT (Average Depth of Target, AKA how far down the field the wide receiver is when targeted) was 7.7 yards against Texas, matching Philo’s average this season. Jones was 0/2 on attempts over 20 yards and just 5/12 on attempts over 10 yards.

But part of what helped Florida beat Texas was that he was mistake-free in turnovers, which doomed Florida against South Carolina when Philo had two brutal turnovers.

The real question for Sumrall is what will be the leash on Philo? That’s not us trying to start a QB controversy or picking a side that we hope Philo fails because we originally wanted Jones; it’s simply making an observation that Sumrall has claimed he would be open to making a switch and that whoever started game one wasn’t guaranteed to be the starter in game twelve. 

Florida takes on Georgia on Saturday in Atlanta at 3:30.

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