Aaron Philo named Florida football starter. Here's a look at his prep career
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Florida has a strong history with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks.
The next one to have a chance to achieve that is finally known. First-year Florida head coach Jon Sumrall named redshirt sophomore Aaron Philo the starting quarterback for Week 1 of the 2026 college football season, as reported by the Gainesville Sun, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Philo, a Georgia Tech transfer, beat out sophomore Tramell Jones Jr. for the starting spot. He was the perceived favorite to start for the Gators after following offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner from Georgia Tech to Gainesville, Florida.
While he served as the backup to Haynes King with the Yellow Jackets, he did earn a spot start in 2025, throwing for 373 yards against Gardner-Webb last season.
Here's what you need to know about Philo's high school career:
Where did Aaron Philo go to high school?
Philo attended Prince Avenue Christian School in Bogart, Georgia, which is 10 miles west of Athens, Georgia (site of the University of Georgia) and 60 miles east of Atlanta.
In 2022, Philo earned Peach State Class A Division 1 Offensive Player of the Year honors after leading Prince Avenue to a perfect 14-0 record and state championship. He finished the season with 4,598 passing yards, 54 touchdowns and eight interceptions, while also adding 68 rushes for 361 yards and eight scores on the ground.
Philo threw for five or more touchdowns in six games, which included a 21-of-32 passing performance with 477 yards and six touchdowns in the state championship game against Swainsboro.
He finished his high school career with 13,922 passing yards, surpassing the state record previously held by Trevor Lawrence (13,902).
Aaron Philo recruiting ranking
Philo was a three-star recruit and the No. 841 overall recruit in the 2024 recruiting cycle. He was the 55th-ranked QB and the No. 94 overall player from Georgia in the class.
He was recruited to Georgia Tech by former NFL QB Chris Weinke. Philo committed to the Yellow Jackets over offers from Cincinnati, Indiana and UCF.
Despite growing up near Athens, Philo revealed that he hates the Bulldogs. If he remains the starter all season, he will have a chance to beat Georgia on Halloween this season.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Aaron Philo named Florida football starter. Here's a look at his prep career
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