What I Learned from Watching Every Snap of Gators' QB Aaron Philo's Career

Georgia Tech transfer quarterback Aaron Philo enters his first fall with the Florida Gators as the possible leader in a tight battle for the starting quarterback job in 2026, yet also a major unknown with little starting experience in two seasons at the collegiate level.

A former four-star and the Georgia High School all-time leading passer out of Prince Avenue Christian, Philo has spent the past two seasons under Gators offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, though playing just 183 total snaps as he sat behind the ACC Player of the Year Haynes King.

Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo is competing to be Florida's starting quarterback. | Kyle Lander / Florida Gators on SI

Despite the lack of experience, with just one career start, the redshirt sophomore is still considered the “veteran” option for a talented yet overwhelmingly young Gators’ unit, headlined by Philo, redshirt freshman Tramell Jones Jr. and four-star early-enrollee Will Griffin.

In a small sample size, the flashes have been big for the gunslinger Philo, with the film showing why Faulkner and head coach Jon Sumrall were willing to take a shot on the talent as their only portal addition at the position.

After watching every snap of the newest Gators’ short career, here are a few of my takeaways.

Quick Processing

Philo is quick and decisive as a thrower, with Faulkner and Georgia Tech’s staff long complimenting his advanced ability to process as a young player. His film is littered with anticipation throws as he averages 2.65 seconds to throw across his career, which would have been the 11th quickest amongst Power Four quarterbacks with over 100 dropbacks in 2025. For reference, former UF starter DJ Lagway finished 2025 at 2.83 seconds, a vast difference in the time it took for the two to get the ball out.

Though Philo did not seem to go through his reads much while on the field, the quick processing and pre-snap understanding helped the young quarterback run the offense smoothly and get his playmakers the ball, which will be important to a Gators offense overflowing with weapons in the new year.

Sack Avoidance

While PFF listed Philo taking one sack in his 109 career dropbacks, it was actually a broken play that led to the quarterback's only negative mark in the category. He excels at getting the ball out fast and trusting his pre-snap processing to make quick decisions, which has kept his offense out of negative game scripts.

When faced with pressure and not having the chance to get the ball out quickly, Philo showed an ability to avoid pass-rushers and move well in the pocket. He has earned a career 68.2 PFF grade when being blitzed, completing 20 passes for 422 yards and a touchdown with a 56 completion percentage in such scenarios. While under pressure, Philo’s grade drops to a 54.1, completing 10 of 27 attempts for 229 yards and throwing one touchdown with an interception as well.

Though the numbers could still improve, Philo’s ability to avoid sacks and get the ball out quickly is impressive and could also be a huge aid for a Gators offensive line unit with many question marks heading into the year.

No Fear When Throwing Over The Middle, Up The Seam

Not only did Philo show no fear throwing over the middle of the field, which many young quarterbacks struggle with, but the gunslinger excelled in such attempts. Philo was at arguably his best when throwing between the numbers downfield, an important component in Faulkner’s passing concepts, making some of his most impressive passes on deep crosses or seam shots.

According to PFF, Philo has completed around 67 percent of his career attempts, with 688 yards and an 85.9 NFL passer rating. On such attempts 10+ yards downfield, his passer rating jumps to 91.45, while throws between 10-20 yards have been his best, completing 11 of 14 attempts for 216 yards and a 131.45 rating.

With a coordinator in Faulkner who has historically loved four vertical concepts and attacking the middle of the field, such confidence from Philo in said area could be critical.

No Haynes King, but Good Rushing Ability

The biggest misconception of Florida’s quarterback competition this offseason is the idea of a gap in mobility between Philo and Jones Jr. While the former Yellow Jacket is no Haynes King as a rusher, Philo has shown an ability to add value with his legs so far in his career, averaging 5.9 yards per carry on 16 carries for 95 yards and a touchdown.

His potential as a runner was showcased most notably in his impressive performance against NC State in 2024, rushing for 57 yards while scoring the game-winning touchdown on an 18-yard scramble with 22 seconds remaining.

When replacing King at Georgia Tech, Faulkner still felt comfortable deploying Philo as a rusher, and if he was to win the job, expect certain aspects of the offensive coordinator's successful quarterback run game to remain in Gainesville.

"Money Down" Composure

Philo was put in some difficult moments as a true freshman in 2024 for Georgia Tech, including playing a key role in the upset of fourth-ranked Miami, and could make big throws in the biggest of moments.

On "money downs," Philo was notably composed for his age, despite completing just 41% of his passes on third downs in his career. The young passer converted 42 percent of third downs with the Yellow Jackets, far better than Florida’s 32.6 percent in 2025, while completing 11 of his 27 passes for 206 yards, adding six carries for 33 yards and multiple conversions on the ground.

For added context, subtract three clear drops that would have resulted in conversions, and Philo’s number would jump to a nearly 52 percent conversion rate, which would have sat at third in the entire nation in 2025 behind Indiana and Ohio State. Another fun but somewhat unimportant stat is Philo’s shocking perfection on third-and-15-plus, where he has converted on all three attempts, including monumental first downs in the fourth quarter against Miami on a 3rd and 18, and NC State on another 3rd and 18.

Such downs are uber-important for any offense's success, with the flashes of brilliance and unwavering demeanor from Philo likely to boost his stock in an attempt at the starting job.

“They're good on third downs and they're good in two-minute situations, that's what you got to do to be able to play at an elite level,” Faulkner said this spring about his expectation for a starting quarterback.

Final Takeaway

When Philo got his opportunities, the young quarterback did well at controlling Faulkner’s offense and flashed many of the intangibles needed to be a successful college signal caller. There are still concerns about his ability to limit turnovers and question marks on if he has a true game-changing arm, but his presence and ability to process make him a strong candidate for the Gators’ starting quarterback job in year one under Sumrall and Faulkner.

The third-year quarterback will need a strong fall to separate against the young and exciting Jones Jr., but the film shows plenty to be excited about and reasons to believe Faulkner will give the keys to the offense to Philo in 2026.

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