USA TODAY Sports put Aaron Philo in "Tier 2: All-conference production" in its first quarterback tier rankings of the season, placing him below the early Heisman group but above the “getting the job done” tier.
"Philo has been off and running against two overmatched teams, with 517 yards, five touchdowns and 12.3 yards per attempt against Florida Atlantic and Campbell," Paul Myerberg wrote.
There's an obvious caveat to these rankings. No one knows anything yet. It's been two games, and Florida has faced FAU and an FCS program. Philo and plenty of the other quarterbacks in these rankings haven't been tested yet. It hardly makes sense to compare a player who faced FAU and Campbell to one who just led a comeback win against Ohio State.
However, the
early busts are worth looking at. Auburn starter Byrum Brown landed two tiers lower in the “Underperforming” group after throwing three interceptions in the season-opening win against Baylor. USA TODAY Sports noted that Brown and Auburn’s offense “haven’t quite clicked” through the first two weeks.
Philo will get his chance to avoid a similar drop this weekend against a real SEC defense. It's only his fourth start, and it comes on the road at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Aaron Philo lands in USA TODAY Sports' all-conference QB tier
