Aaron Philo named Florida football starter. Here's a look at his prep career

Florida has a storied past when it comes to quarterbacks winning the Heisman Trophy. The university's next potential candidate for the prestigious award is now officially identified. On Friday, first-year head coach Jon Sumrall announced that redshirt sophomore Aaron Philo would be the starting quarterback for the Gators' opening game of the 2026 season, as reported by the Gainesville Sun, a part of the USA TODAY Network.

The spot was secured from sophomore Tramell Jones Jr., with Philo being the perceived frontrunner after transferring from Georgia Tech.

Before joining Florida, Philo was considered the favorite to start at the University of Florida due to his previous affiliation with the program. After leaving Georgia Tech, he took on the role of backup to Haynes King, earning a spot start in 2025 where he completed 373 yards against Gardner-Webb. To better understand Philo's background, here are some details about his high school career:

Philo attended Prince Avenue Christian School in Bogart, Georgia, located 10 miles west of Athens and 60 miles east of Atlanta. During the 2022 season, he earned Peach State Class A Division 1 Offensive Player of the Year honors. Leading his team to a perfect 14-0 record and the state championship, Philo finished the campaign with 4,598 passing yards, 54 touchdowns, and only 8 interceptions. In addition to his passing stats, he contributed 68 rushing yards and 8 more touchdowns on the ground.

Philo's passing prowess was evident in the state championship game against Swainsboro, where he threw for an impressive 21-of-32 completion rate, tallying 477 yards and 6 touchdowns. Over his high school tenure, Philo amassed a total of 13,922 passing yards, surpassing the previous state record of 13,902, which was set by Trevor Lawrence.

Ranked as a three-star recruit and the No. 841 overall prospect in the 2024 class, Philo was recruited to Georgia Tech by former NFL quarterback Chris Weinke. Despite growing up close to Athens, Philo has admitted to disliking the Georgia Bulldogs. If he remains the starter throughout the entire season, he will have the opportunity to face Georgia on Halloween during the 2026 college football season.