Florida Makes Early Starting QB Decision: Report

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Earlier in training camp, Florida Gators head coach Jon Sumrall suggested that he might not name a starting quarterback before the team's season opener against FAU on Sept. 5. 

Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo has been competing with Tramell Jones Jr. for the starting job this summer. Philo, who worked together with new Florida offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner at GT, was expected to have a leg up on the competition because he better knows the offense.

Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, Sumrall named Philo as the starting quarterback on Monday.

"Florida coach Jon Sumrall has named Aaron Philo the starter at quarterback, and he’ll debut Week 1 against Florida Atlantic in Week 1," Thamel posted on X. He’s a Georgia Tech transfer who brings familiarity with the offense, coming over with OC Buster Faulkner."

For Philo, it's not just about winning the job in Week 1. He'll have to keep it. 

Sumrall told reporters in August that the staff would have to "figure out how to win a game each week" in reference to the quarterback job.

Florida likes what it has in both quarterbacks.

They’re both competitive in nature," Sumrall 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."

Philo threw for 373 yards, one touchdown, and one interception last season as a backup for Georgia Tech's Haynes King, who had a strong start to the preseason with the Carolina Panthers this summer.

Philo, a six-foot-one, 207-pound quarterback from Bogart, Georgia, will give the offense a steady arm with the capabilities of pushing the ball downfield. Jones, a talented freshman, offers the Gators an extra dynamic, though the coaching staff had been worried about his operation during the pre-snap and willingness to take too many risks.

The Gators will start their season against FAU and Campbell before the season gets serious with Auburn on Sept. 19. That will be a huge game for Florida and Philo. 

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos