Aaron Philo Officially Announces That He Is Entering The Transfer Portal

It was reported yesterday that Philo was intending to enter the transfer portal and he made it official today

Nov 21, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Aaron Philo (12) throws a pass against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the fourth quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

It was reported yesterday that Georgia Tech quarterback Aaron Philo intended to enter the transfer portal and today, Philo released a statement making it official that he will enter the portal when it opens on January 2nd.

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— Aaron Philo † (@PhiloAaron) December 17, 2025

Philo was the presumptive starter for Georgia Tech next season with Haynes King out of eligibility, but now the Yellow Jackets will turn to one of the three quarterbacks on the roster or look to the transfer portal for competition.

What's next?

Nov 28, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key leads the team on the field before a game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Our own Najeh Wilkins broke down what Georgia Tech's options are going to be going forward now that Philo is officially in the portal:

"It is a tough spot for the Yellow Jackets to be in with so many of their coaches leaving. They also lost running backs coach Norval McKenzie to Virginia Tech. It’s been a massive overhaul on the coaching staff this offseason for the Yellow Jackets. Prior to Philo leaving, Georgia Tech had done a good job of retaining its players, with not a lot of them leaving for other opportunities.

Philo was in line to be the starting quarterback after waiting his turn behind King. He led the Yellow Jackets to a couple of big time victories in his career. One was on Thursday night against NC State, where he ran for the game-winning touchdown to secure a victory. The other was the upset of No.4 Miami at home in 2024 that handed the Hurricanes its first loss of the season. 

Even this year, he stepped up in the absence of Haynes King in the Gardner-Webb game and went 21-28 for 373 passing yards with a touchdown and an interception. Philo also put together a productive spring for the Yellow Jackets and continued to prove he is the quarterback of the future. 

A good thing for the Yellow Jackets is that they do have Graham Knowles, who should be in line to compete for a starting job. Georgia Tech also has Grady Adamson, whom they picked up from Deer Creek High School (Oklahoma) in the 2025 cycle. Cole Bergeron was a massive flip and pickup for the Yellow Jackets in the 2026 class. Bergeron was a four-star prospect coming out of high school and played for one of the best high schools in Louisiana, St. Thomas More. 

You can expect, even with a good quarterback room, for the Yellow Jackets to pursue a veteran in the transfer portal. There are a number of good-looking quarterbacks who will be available. You have Arizona State's Sam Leavitt, Nebraska's Dylan Raiola, Florida's DJ Lagway, Cincinnati's Brendan Sorsby, and Notre Dame's Kenny Minchey among some of the options for Georgia Tech. Certainly, the Yellow Jackets will pursue one of these guys and bring them in."