Florida QB Tramell Jones trending towards starting vs. Texas
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Listed as questionable on Thursday and expected to be a game-time decision for Saturday’s matchup against the Texas Longhorns in Austin, Florida Gators quarterback Aaron Philo is trending towards sitting out with the shoulder injury he sustained last weekend, according to a Friday report from ESPN.
If Philo can’t play, Jones will receive his first career start.
The sophomore from Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin played his high school football with former Texas wide receiver Jaime Ffrench, choosing Florida over eight other offers, including Georgia Tech, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Pitt, and Virginia Tech.
A longtime Florida State target, Jones gave an early commitment to the Seminoles during the summer after his sophomore year. As FSU struggled on the field, Jones took an official visit to Florida in November 2024 and flipped to the Gators two days later.
A consensus four-star prospect, Jones finished the cycle as the No. 245 player nationally and the No. 21 quarterback in the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Here’s the evaluation of Jones by 247Sports:
Experienced pocket passer with no shortage of arm talent that had his senior campaign cut short due to a lower-leg injury. Impressed time and time again at offseason events with his accuracy and mechanics as he peppered all three levels of the field with precision. At his best when he can stay on schedule and feed his playmakers as he makes anticipatory throws and wins with ball placement. Not the most creative scrambler and tends to panic when the rush starts to build, which in turn can lead to paralyzing sacks. Must also cut down on the interceptions. Exits high school with a 22-13 record after earning a starting gig as a freshman in one of the Sunshine State’s top classifications. Showed year-over-year improvement in key statistical categories and is viewed as a quick study. Might lack elite physical traits compared to some of the other signal callers in the 2025 cycle, but has what it takes to emerge as a trusted distributor on Saturdays.
The 6’0, 196-pounder played in two games last season before the coaching change, which included new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner bringing Philo with him from Georgia Tech. The two quarterbacks competed throughout the offseason, a position battle resolved during preseason camp with head coach Jon Sumrall naming Philo the starter.
Jones has been efficient so far this season, completing 23-of-29 passes (79.3 percent) for 252 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions on one turnover-worthy throw graded by Pro Football Focus. In an appearance against Missouri, Jones was pushing the ball farther downfield with an average depth of target of 11.2 yards for an average yards per attempt of 17.2 on five throws, all completed.
Replacing Philo in the lopsided loss to South Carolina, Jones had a more conservative effort, going 6-of-8 passing for 40 yards with an interception on an average depth of target of 3.9 yards.
I want to make sure we continue growing because I believe in Tramell,“ Sumrall said. ”I’ve said this publicly — I think Tramell can be our starting quarterback here, and we can win football games.”
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