Tramell Jones Jr. is set to make his second career start as the quarterback for No. 25 Florida when the Gators host Oklahoma on Saturday night, according to a person familiar with the decision. The individual, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the program has not officially announced its starter, confirmed that Jones earned the majority of first-team repetitions during the week’s practice sessions. This move follows initial reports from CBS Sports indicating a shift from Aaron Philo, who was benched after throwing two interceptions in a 27-8 loss to Georgia last Saturday.
Gators pivot from Aaron Philo after porous offensive line muddles evaluation process
Head coach Jon Sumrall declined to name a starter on Monday but acknowledged the complexity of the decision by tweaking the depth chart to include “or” between his quarterbacks. Sumrall emphasized that the primary challenge in evaluating the position is the performance of Florida’s offensive line, which has been described as porous. “I don’t know if Tom Brady was our quarterback on Saturday if it would have helped us,” Sumrall stated, highlighting how the lack of protection makes it difficult to distinguish which signal caller provides the team with a better chance against the Sooners (4-4, 2-3).
Jones, who replaced Philo in the second quarter of the Georgia game, committed two additional turnovers, with a third being negated by a penalty. Despite these struggles, the coaching staff believes Jones offers the best path forward for the Gators (5-3, 3-3 SEC) as they prepare for a crucial conference matchup. The decision underscores the urgency for Florida to stabilize its offense before the season progresses further, with the Swamp providing a home-field advantage that could be pivotal in turning the team’s season around.
Source: Yahoo Sports
