August has arrived, Fall camp has arrived, and with them comes a plethora of questions, debate, circulating rumors and outside noise. Of the many questions pervading the program, the largest is undoubtedly: Who will represent the University of Florida under center in 2026?
Though only one of Florida’s front-running young quarterbacks will be penciled in as a starter when the Gators kick off the 2026 season against Florida Atlantic on Sept. 5, the team has seen flashes of arm talent and leadership from both redshirt freshman Tramell Jones Jr. and redshirt sophomore Aaron Philo.
Now, with less than a month until their season opener at The Swamp, Florida’s coaching staff is closing in on its final chance to evaluate whether Jones or Philo would give the Gators their best chance to win games through a grueling season.
“We’re going to find the best quarterback for the University of Florida,” offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner said. “They’ve both come a long way. I think you can win with both.”
Faulkner made it clear one player will eventually be named a starter, but that doesn’t diminish the skill set and value the other brings. As head coach Jon Sumrall has proclaimed, just because Jones or Philo starts the season opener, doesn’t mean they have earned the role for the season. The competition will never cease, and each quarterback will be given ample opportunity to earn the starting role.
In Faulkner’s eyes, both Jones and Philo have displayed the tangible qualities needed to excel in the highly competitive Southeastern Conference. He said the summer “was big” for the quarterbacks, and he was impressed by the way they took initiative.
“They were making great strides at the end of spring,” Faulkner said. “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.”
With evaluation in full swing, Jones and Philo will be put to the test as Sumrall and Faulkner work to decide who has an edge, whether mentally or physically. Faulkner said the most important thing he’s looking for is mental and physical toughness. The coordinator will put the quarterbacks in difficult situations throughout Fall camp to gauge how well they can protect the ball and respond to pressure. According to Faulkner, the quarterback needs “to be the toughest guy in the building, mentally and physically.”
“We want to see how they protect the ball,” Faulkner said. “We're going to put them in a lot of tough situations. We'll throw the ball more in camp than we probably have here in the past, just to see where we're at and see where those guys are.”
Jones’ focus has been learning the playbook to cement a spot in Faulkner’s offense. He’s also been pushing in the weight room. Jones said he has been lifting the same racks as Philo, giving way to more healthy competition and helping the quarterbacks become more explosive on the field.
While he’s aware of the accuracy and armstrength he brings to the table, the main areas Jones wants to improve before the season are his reads, motions and understanding of the offensive process, so he can work quickly and spread the ball to his athletes. Jones understands the importance of reading defenses during motions and changing protections, and he said he wants to be a “point guard” for the offense.
“There’s a time to be a game manager and then a game changer,” Jones said. “I knew I had to be somewhat ready for Spring, and then taking the extra time in the summer and setting those goals for myself has really helped me.”
Moreover, Jones is fond of the friendly competition he’s built with Philo, largely because he’s seen how cohesive leadership has brought the team together. When asked about Philo, Jones said the redshirt sophomore is a smart quarterback with quick processing ability.
“The other guys see it and they jive around us and they love to see how we compete and we’re still having a healthy relationship,” Jones said. “When they see things like that, they take it with their position group or whoever they’re competing with, and they’re doing it.”
Philo said Jones is a very smart player with a strong arm, and he’s learned a lot from the redshirt freshman.
Along with Jones, Philo said he’s also learned a ton from quarterbacks coach Joe Craddock about reading defenses and coverage.
“He’s a really smart football coach,” Philo said, “I’ve really enjoyed being coached by him. I feel like my mental game has improved a lot.”
In addition to improving his mental side, Philo said he’s dropped 10 pounds of fat and gained 7 pounds of lean muscle. He said his physical improvements allow him to be more confident extending plays with his legs.
Following Spring, Sumrall told Philo he wanted to improve on turnovers and ball protection while continuing to build chemistry with receivers. The quarterback knows the starting role will be given to whoever operates the offense and protects the football, so he’s been focused on continuous improvement.
Philo is also a believer that when teammates love one another, they play harder for each other. With this outlook and familiarity with Faulkner’s offense, he’s helped others adjust to the system to keep competition healthy and ensure everyone is improving.
“In the quarterback room, it’s an open book, we don’t keep secrets,” Philo said. “If there’s something out there I see, I’m going to tell them, try to help them out as much as I can because I’ve been in it for two years now, going on three years.”
With Jones and Philo in a healthy competition likely until the season begins, redshirt freshman receiver Dallas Wilson has seen the camaraderie grow first hand. He spent time with Jones last season, and he met Philo upon his transfer in January. Wilson said the pair is together every day, and he has seen consistent improvement from both young quarterbacks.
He also said Jones and Philo play golf together often, attesting to their cohesiveness and growing bond. Wilson even joined the quarterbacks on the course earlier this summer to celebrate Philo’s birthday.
“I really never see them apart from each other,” he said. “They're always improving.”
Contact Curan Ahern at cahern@alligator.org. Follow him on X at @CuranAhern.
Curan is a senior sports journalism student in his fifth semester at The Alligator. He is currently the sports editor, and previously served as a reporter for men's tennis, sports enterprise and football. He is currently pursuing a public relations minor and is an avid Duval sports fan. (#DTWD)
