Jon Sumrall says Florida QB doesn't 'need to be Tim Tebow' - ESPN

TAMPA, Florida — Florida coach Jon Sumrall arrives at the school amid the program sputtering through four losing seasons in the last five years.

While Sumrall has delivered a jolt of optimism and energy in his first offseason, perhaps the biggest decision of his tenure looms in the upcoming camp: Who will be the Gators' starting quarterback?

The camp battle will be between Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo and second-year Gator Tramell Jones Jr.

Sumrall said whoever wins will be surrounded by talent and can play within themselves and accentuate the Gators' skill position players.

«None of them need to be Tim Tebow,» Sumrall said, referencing Florida's Heisman Trophy winner and two-time national champion. «They need to be somebody that just manages a game and operates the right way at the line scrimmage and doesn't turn the football over. We've got decent skill players around the quarterback position with Jadan Baugh and the receiver group.»

Sumrall described them both as having similar skill sets. Philo played at Georgia Tech for two years under current Gator offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, which gave him an advantage in spring. Jones arrived as a highly touted dual-threat quarterback who picked Florida in 2024 after decommitting from Florida State.

Sumrall summed up the quarterbacks room this way: «Do we have a Heisman Trophy candidate? No, but they both have enough arm talent. They both are adequate runners. Neither one of them are elite runners. Neither one of them are slugs either. Both have good arms, both have good releases. Both can make all the throws. So there's enough there for us to win with.»

Philo started for Georgia Tech against Gardner-Webb last year and appeared in three games, as he backed up