Ranking Florida's Aaron Philo among transfer portal quarterbacks
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Florida football will undergo a rebuild season this coming fall, much to the chagrin of the Gator Nation, as new head coach Jon Sumrall resets the program in hopes of restoring the Orange and Blue to its former glory.
One of the cornerstones of that transformation is redshirt sophomore quarterback Aaron Philo, who arrived in Gainesville by way of the transfer portal this offseason. The 6-foot-1-inch, 208-pound passer is already familiar with some of the recently added staff from his previous stint with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
However, with limited playing time during his first two collegiate campaigns and three years of eligibility remaining, Philo might end up as a longer-term project for Florida. Still, the expectation is that he will hit the grass running for a program without a dedicated starting gunslinger — or at least provide stiff competition at the position alongside redshirt freshman Tramell Jones Jr.
With the spring practice season in full gear, The Athletic's Sam Khan Jr. took a moment to rank the top 20 quarterbacks in the current transfer portal cycle, with Philo landing at No. 15.
"Philo didn’t earn much playing time behind starter Haynes King, taking 63 snaps in 2025 and 180 over the last two seasons. But in the little time he has seen, he’s shown that he’s a capable passer — within and outside the offensive structure — and a good runner.
"His 3.4 percent explosive play rate over the last two seasons would be top 30 nationally if he had enough snaps to qualify, according to TruMedia. Teaming Philo with running back Jadan Baugh and former Georgia Tech and (former) Auburn receiver Eric Singleton has loads of potential. And Philo arrives in Gainesville with plenty of familiarity with the offense after spending the last two years working in new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner’s scheme at Georgia Tech."
Philo should have a good enough supporting cast for him to succeed in the Swamp, but he still needs to earn that starting job. Gator fans will get a chance to see him in action during the upcoming Orange and Blue Game, held on April 11.
The Athletic's top 20 transfer portal quarterbacks
- Darian Mensah, Duke → Miami
- Sam Leavitt, Arizona State → LSU
- Drew Mestemaker, North Texas → Oklahoma State
- Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati → Texas Tech
- Josh Hoover, TCU → Indiana
- Byrum Brown, USF → Auburn
- Rocco Becht, Iowa State → Penn State
- DJ Lagway, Florida → Baylor
- Colton Joseph, Old Dominion → Wisconsin
- Austin Simmons, Ole Miss → Missouri
- Kenny Minchey, Notre Dame → Kentucky
- Jaden Craig, Harvard → TCU
- Cutter Boley, Kentucky → Arizona State
- Katin Houser, East Carolina → Illinois
- Aaron Philo, Georgia Tech → Florida
- Anthony Colandrea, UNLV → Nebraska
- Beau Pribula, Missouri → Virginia
- Ethan Grunkemeyer, Penn State → Virginia Tech
- Lincoln Kienholz, Ohio State → Louisville
- Aidan Chiles, Michigan State → Northwestern
"Given that, some big names who were on January’s list, like Dylan Raiola, Husan Longstreet and Deuce Knight, will be absent since they aren’t expected to be the starters at their respective schools in 2026."
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida football's Aaron Philo ranked among transfer portal quarterbacks
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