Florida Expected to Start New QB: What It Means for Texas

The Texas Longhorns will face some elite quarterbacks late in the month of October but there's some uncertainty about what the defense will be challenged with during Saturday's home game against the Florida Gators.

Florida quarterback Aaron Philo suffered a shoulder injury in last week's loss to South Carolina. He's been listed as questionable on the SEC availability report but is expected to be a game-time decision on Saturday.

However, it appears that the Gators are expected to make a quarterback change regardless of Philo's status before kickoff.

Florida QB Tramell Jones Jr. Expected to Start vs. Texas

Florida quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. (9) looks to pass Florida Atlantic during the second half an NCAA football game at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 5, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Florida is expected to start quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. against Texas, per reports from On3's Pete Nakos.

A four-star composite prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, Jones is in his second year with Florida, which originally recruited him under head coach Billy Napier.

Jones didn't receive as many high-level offers as some quarterbacks, as that list includes Miami, Florida State, Louisville, Pitt, Virginia Tech, Maryland and Georgia Tech.

On paper, Jones Jr. starting is a notable advantage for a Texas defense that's one of the best in the country this season. In two years of college football, he's appeared in seven games while going 44 of 64 passing for 443 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions.

However, most of this production has come in mop-up duty. He had a 42-yard touchdown pass in the final minute of the blowout loss to Missouri two weeks ago. His best game as a Gator came last season against Long Island when he went 12 of 18 passing for 131 yards and two touchdowns.

Texas Defense Can Put Massive Pressure on Tramell Jones Jr.

Florida Gators quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. (9) throws the ball against the Campbell Fighting Camels during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jones Jr. is not known for his dual-threat ability. In seven career games, he posted just 13 carries for 35 yards.

On top of that, he hasn't exactly proven yet that he can beat defenes with high-level throws down the field.

As a result, the Longhorns can send the house off the edge with Colin Simmons and Lance Jackson down after down without much fear that Jones will scramble up the middle for huge gains. This wasn't the case against Tennessee, as Simmons was often used as a spy on Volunteers quarterback Faizon Brandon, which led to a few of his career-high 5.5 sacks.

Texas will need to put a heavy pass rush on Jones in order to force him to get the ball out of his hands quicker, which could lead to mistakes.

But more importantly, the Longhorns will need to shut down the production of Florida star running back Jadan Baugh early on so that the pressure is on Jones to try and win the game throguh the air.

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