Aaron Philo Ready for Opportunity as Gators' Starting QB

GAINESVILLE, Fla.— Aaron Philo does not need to be reminded of the importance of being the starting quarterback at the University of Florida. He addressed this as much in his first answer at Tuesday's media availability.

"I'm honored, and I don't take it lightly at all," he said, a little over 24 hours after head coach Jon Sumrall named him the starter. "I don't take this position for granted at all. I'm very blessed, very honored, and it's something that I've worked my whole life to get to."

He also announced a lofty goal.

"I'm gonna do everything in my power to bring Florida back," he added.

Florida quarterback Aaron Philo (12) transferred from Georgia Tech. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Philo being named the starter is not a massive surprise, considering he was seemingly the starter-in-waiting at Georgia Tech. What was surprising was how long it took.

Following offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner from Georgia Tech and with more on-field experience than his main competitor, redshirt freshman Tramell Jones Jr., Philo was the outside favorite.

Yet, Jones Jr. made a considerable push, and as he continued to learn the offense, the gap between the two closed. In turn, Philo said that working alongside Jones Jr. made him better.

"When you have guys to push you, like, we competed our butts off," Philo said of the position battle. "It was a battle, man, and, like, that just pushes each of us to be better, and it pushed me to be better."

There were also turnover concerns. After throwing two interceptions in the spring game, Philo followed it up with an interception in the first scrimmage of fall camp. What has not been a concern, however, is his ability to bounce back.

After his interception in the first scrimmage, he threw a touchdown pass before having a turnover-less performance in the second scrimmage.

"Nobody wins or loses or elevates or gets a spot on the roster based upon one rep or one practice, it’s a full body of work," Sumrall said. "So going back to the quarterback thing, it’s a full body of work. What he did last week showed that he understood the mistake he made on the previous Saturday."

Philo credits that bounce-back ability to his time as a pitcher before he played football.

"If you throw a ball, you got to move on to the next pitch, and it's kind of like that in football," he said. "Like, if something happens, you got to move on to the next play. It's kind of just a mindset in life as well. Adversity is gonna strike, bad things are gonna happen. You just gotta keep your head down and keep going forward and not change.”

He also credited it to the weapons Florida has on offense, including star running back Jadan Baugh, former five-star recruits Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III and experienced veteran transfer and former Georgia Tech teammate Eric Singleton Jr.

"I don't have to go out there and make hero throws," Philo said. "I can protect the ball, make safe throws to those guys and let them go to work.”

What ultimately won Philo the job, Sumrall said, is his ability to operate the offense at a higher level. He also made it clear that his naming as the starter for the season opener is not a permanent "anointing."

With Jones Jr. right behind him, Philo unstands the level he has to play at to keep the job.

"I understand that I have to go out there and I have to perform," Philo said. "Practicing with him each and every day, like, he pushes me to be my best each and every day, and he's a great player, and having that, it pushes me to be better.”

Nonetheless, going from a two-year backup to a starter at an SEC program is a journey Philo is proud of. And he will get his first chance to show he is ready for it on Sept. 5, when the Gators host FAU to open the 2026 season.

"You work your whole life to get here, and, I've worked so hard to get here," Philo said. "Extremely excited and honored, and ready to go play.”

Enjoy our content? Make Florida Gators on SI a Preferred Source to see more stories from us on Google: https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=si.coms

Add us as a preferred source on Google