Florida football's quarterback situation remains unsettled as the Gators prepare to face No. 3 Georgia this Saturday.
Jon Sumrall has yet to announce whether Aaron Philo or Tramell Jones Jr. will start Saturday; the head coach said he expects to decide later this week. The selection will be the most consequential decision of Sumrall's first season in Gainesville.
Philo and Jones both received first-team practice reps on Monday, and Sumrall plans to continue evaluating them throughout the week.
"Both guys are available," Sumrall said. "I'm not going to name a starter today. We need both guys ready to play."
Philo helped the Gators race out to four straight wins to start the season, but Jones delivered a signature road win over Texas in his first
career start. Sumrall did not commit to announcing his decision publicly — it's a complicated choice as Philo recovers from an injury to his throwing shoulder while Jones recovers from his own bumps and bruises.
Jones made a compelling case to retain the starting job, completing 22 of 35 passes for 155 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions in Austin. Philo has a larger body of work, having started Florida's first six games, completing 70.5% of his passes for 1,341 yards and nine touchdowns to go along with three interceptions.
"You have to embrace it, first and foremost," Sumrall said. "Florida-Georgia is different. Anybody that says otherwise is insane. But what helps you win the game's not different. So, it's the task of helping our guys embrace what the rivalry and the history of it is because it is different. It's different for both fanbases. It's what makes college football great."
Sumrall has expressed confidence in both quarterbacks, noting that he views the team as having "two starters." The Gators have proven that they can compete at a high level with either quarterback, earning wins against top-10 opponents with either under center.
While a two-quarterback rotation appears unlikely, Sumrall did indicate that whoever starts would generally remain in charge unless performance dictated a change. Whoever wins the job will go up against one of the nation's best defenses, as Georgia leads the SEC in scoring defense, allowing just 15.9 points per game.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Sumrall delays QB decision between Philo, Jones ahead of Georgia game
