Buster Faulkner Confident in Both Aaron Philo, Tramell Jones Jr.: 'You Can Win with Both'

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- As the Florida Gators begin fall camp, offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner echoed head coach Jon Sumrall when asked if he had a timeline to name a starting quarterback, while also looking back at Steve Spurrier's time as the program's head coach.

“There’s no timeline," he said on Tuesday. "There’s always an evaluation. Just because you’re the starter, you got to go play good. Coach Spurrier used to run them in and out. No, there’s no timeline. When we know, we’ll know. Obviously, somebody has to take the first snap here at FAU, and we’ll make that decision when it’s right.”

While neither transfer Aaron Philo nor returning backup Tramell Jones Jr. have truly separated from each other, both have made tremendous strides since spring camp ended, Faulkner said. In particular, both stepped up as leaders.

"When we were around in June, the leadership qualities, really of all those guys had started to take off. They kind of ran the summer," Faulkner said. "We wanted them to run the summer as much as they could, and they did a great job with that."

Florida quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. (9) | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

While Philo, who played under Faulkner for two seasons at Georgia Tech, is the outside favorite to be the starter, both Faulkner and Sumrall have emphasized having an even competition. Philo's familiarity in Faulkner's system, nonetheless, stands out, as well as his relative success in limited playing time and ability to extend plays with his legs.

That has not stopped Jones Jr. from making a strong case. Despite having less experience, Jones Jr. garnered praise from Faulkner for his ability to quickly pick up the offense. There is also his sneaky athletic ability, headlined by a speed hovering at 22 miles per hour. A strong arm, shown by his 210-yard, two-touchdown performance in the spring game, also stands out.

"It’s a lot, he’s done a great job of really getting caught up to speed," Faulkner said. "I like the way he carries himself. He’s a very confident kid, comfortable in his own skin, and I think usually those guys are very successful in this game.”

Philo, meanwhile, earned praise for continually growing as a leader. Faulkner, who coached Philo for two seasons at Georgia Tech, said he is starting to see him grow out of his shell after getting acquainted with his new surroundings.

"You’re now seeing him be like he was that I’ve seen the last couple years, just on a day-to-day basis," Faulkner said. "A lot more comfortable around the guys, he’s starting to be a lot more vocal, all the things that I knew, but when you come into a new environment sometimes that can be hard, and I think he’s finally comfortable in his own skin down here.”

One also can't ignore his performance in the spring game, which had plenty of positives — two touchdowns while completing 75 percent of his passes — and negatives — less yards than Jones Jr. (166) and two interceptions.

Florida quarterback Aaron Philo (12) | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The pros and cons with both are evident. Now comes fall camp, during which Faulkner and the coaches plan on putting them in "a lot of tough situations," Faulkner said. They will emphasize third-down pressures, two-minute drills and protecting the football in an effort to get both guys ready.

Above all, though, is toughness, Faulkner said.

"You got to be the toughest guy in the building, mentally and physically," Faulkner explained. "It's not easy to play this position, especially in this league. What they got to go through each week, defenses we're going to see, the crowds we're going to play against, all those things. You've got to be mentally and physically tough to be a great quarterback in this system, or really in any system. That's the number one thing that I believe in, and that's the number one thing we're looking for."

Overall, Faulkner is hoping the two continue to take steps forward throughout spring camp, while a relatively-easy beginning to the season with FAU (Sept. 5) and Campbell (Sept. 12) on the schedule before SEC-play give the Gators an opportunity to play both guys as they search for a full-time starter.

Florida returns to the practice field on Friday morning, after which, both Jones Jr. and Philo will speak to the media for the first time since the spring game.

"We’re going to find the best quarterback for the University of Florida and that guy is going to go out there and it’s going to give us the best chance to win," Faulkner said. "We’ll see when we make that decision. The one good thing is I can sit here and tell you I like them both. I think both have come a long way. I think you can win with both.

"One guy will eventually have to be the starter, and that’s not saying that whoever is the starter that the other is not good, a lot of times that gets lost in it. I’m really excited about the progress that both the kids have made.”

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