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The Florida Gators' task on Saturday just became more daunting as they prepare to face the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. With a two-game losing streak already weighing on them, the Gators may be without their starting quarterback, Aaron Philo, who is dealing with an undisclosed injury that has limited him in practice this week, according to a report from CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz.
Philo's uncertain status opens the door for backup Tramel Jones, a true sophomore, to potentially make his first career start. Jones would face a daunting challenge: Texas has lost only once in 24 games at home since 2023.
Philo's Journey to the Starting Role
Philo, a former three-star recruit from Prince Avenue Christian School in Bogart, Georgia, is in his first year as a starter. He began his college career at Georgia Tech, backing up Haynes King for two seasons before transferring to Florida to follow his offensive coordinator, Buster Faulkner. Despite spending two years in Faulkner's system at Georgia Tech, Philo wasn't guaranteed the starting job at Florida. He competed with Jones throughout the offseason and was only named the starter just before the end of fall camp.
Initially, Philo seemed to validate the coaching staff's decision, leading the Gators to a 4-0 start. In a balanced offense featuring star running back Jadan Baugh and a talented receiving corps, Philo helped Florida secure early-season wins against Auburn and Ole Miss. In those two games combined, he threw for 400 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception while completing 31 of 45 passes. The 4-0 start was Florida's first since Tim Tebow was under center.
Recent Struggles
However, the past two weeks have been rocky for Philo and the Gators. In a 45-17 loss to Missouri, Philo completed 61.8% of his passes for 197 yards with just one touchdown. Then, despite a solid outing against South Carolina where he threw for 227 yards and a touchdown while completing 21 of 28 passes with one interception, the Gators still fell short.
Now, as Florida prepares to face a Texas defense that ranks among the nation's best, they may have to do so without their starting quarterback. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, where the No. 7 Longhorns will host the unranked Gators.
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Harrison Reno is a contributing writer for multiple On SI websites covering SEC Football. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication and has previously covered multiple NFL teams as a contributing writer for On SI and other networks.