Position Preview: Jones, Philo battling for QB1 role

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Fall camp has begun for Florida football, which means it's time for Gators Wire's annual position preview series. First up are the quarterbacks.

It's no secret that there's a quarterback competition brewing in Gainesville. Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo followed new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner to Florida, and Tramell Jones Jr. has been the natural successor to DJ Lagway since flipping from Florida State in the 2025 recruiting cycle. Neither has the experience to outright be named the starter, and Jon Sumrall isn't against running them both out there until he and Faulkner figure out who the best option is.

"Are we ready to name a starter today? No," Sumrall said on Monday. "We may not name one…. the week of the first game, I may not come out and have some big formal announcement of who QB1 is. We’re just probably not doing that. We’re going to figure out how to win a game each week. That’s our goal."

The good news is that Sumrall and Faulkner believe both players are capable of starting. It's going to be about who is better for the team, and the competition is going to make both of them better.

"They’re both competitive in nature," he said. "They both want to be the guy. If they didn’t, we’d have a problem. They’re both in a great spot. They compete with each other well. They lift with each other on the same rack. They encourage each other, they challenge each other, they compete with each other."Aidan Warner is also back despite not playing a snap last season, and freshman Will Griffin rounds out the depth chart. Let's take a look at Florida's quarterbacks.

Note: With the new age-based eligibility system in place, player classifications will no longer include redshirt status. For example, a redshirt sophomore (R-So.) listed on the official roster will be considered a junior (Jr.).

Potential Starter: No. 12 Aaron Philo (Jr.)

*= at Georgia Tech

Philo gets the 1A nod for now, but the truth is that the position battle between him and Jones could go on past Week 1. Philo has a perceived advantage after playing under offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner for the past two years, so that's the logic behind predicting him as the starter.

There's obvious arm talent for Philo. He's the passing yards record holder in Georgia high school football with just under 14,000 yards, good enough to eclipse Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who previously held the record with 13,902. Still, Jones may be the more physically gifted athlete, so Philo's value lies in his experience and knowledge of what Faulkner is looking for.

Potential Starter: No. 9 Tramell Jones Jr. (So.)

Jones won the backup role last season and ended up playing in two games, including the entire second half against Kentucky. He impressed fans in the little action he saw, but that's also the biggest knock on him — a small sample size.

Two quarters of SEC play is worth something, to be sure, but experience in competitive moments is uncommon for a second-year quarterback. Philo was being groomed as a potential successor at Georgia Tech, while Jones figured to have at least another year behind DJ Lagway, who transferred to Baylor this offseason.

The physical traits are there. Jones' ball comes out of the hand with more zip and a better spiral than Philo's, but he's been a step or two behind when running actual plays. Throwing isn't the only thing that matters for an SEC quarterback. Jones has put in the effort, studying the playbook and learning a new offense, but it may take more than the month of fall camp to get him where he needs to be.

"What’s unique about Tramell is just the fact that he didn’t play much as a senior. He got hurt and then, obviously, only had a few snaps last year," Faulkner said. "What’s been unique is how well he’s picked this up because it’s not easy to pick up. It’s a lot. He’s done a great job of really getting caught up to speed, and I like the way he carries himself. He’s a very, very confident kid, comfortable in his own skin. I think usually those guys are very successful in this game."

Jones may very well be the starter by the time SEC play rolls around, but a two-pronged attack at quarterback could be necessary.

Reserve: No. 16 Aidan Warner (Sr.)

Warner got his shot in 2024, filling in while Lagway and Graham Mertz were injured. It didn't go so well. The former Yale product threw three interceptions and completed less than 50% of his passes. He didn't play in 2025 but was placed on scholarship by Billy Napier.

Faulkner mentioned Warner in his pre-camp press conference, but he's very firmly behind the other two names above him on this list. Warner should only get in the game in a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency moment.

Freshman: No. 11 Will Griffin (Fr.)

Griffin, a consensus four-star recruit, was one of the key pieces of the 2026 signing class, and he has the leadership qualities to one day run the offense at Florida. With Jones and Philo battling it out, Griffin falls to the same spot as Warner, but he's younger and less physically mature.

In fact, with the new age-based eligibility rules, he may be above Warner on the depth chart, but Florida also needs to keep him healthy for the long term. Anything more than a few series this season would be concerning.

"Arm strength. Natural ability. That kid, he's different for sure. Just being able to be around him, learn some things from him, he's learning things from me coming from the high school level, asking a lot of questions, which is good," Jones said of Griffin in the spring. "I wish I was like him. I wish I asked a lot of questions like him. That's something good to have."

Walk-On: No. 10 Aaron Williams (Jr.)

Williams is the lone walk-on in the position room. He came to Florida in the summer of 2024 as a preferred walk-on and has not seen action in two seasons with the team. Williams ran a series in the spring game, which ended in a field goal, but he wasn't running too many plays that required anything more than a checkdown or screen pass.

Williams graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in the spring.

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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Position Preview: Jones, Philo battling for QB1 role

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