By admin 
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Aaron Philo has thrived in his first two starts as the Florida Gators’ starting quarterback, throwing for 517 yards and five touchdowns, with two more coming on the ground, while completing over 76 percent of his passes. This week will be a different beast: his first SEC start on the road.
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While Saturday’s matchup at Auburn reignites one of the SEC’s more historic rivalries and marks Philo’s first-ever road start of his career, the pressure does not seem to be on for the Georgia Tech transfers. His main mindset this week? Football is football.
“You try not to make it bigger than it is, but obviously they’re gonna have a great environment,” he said on Monday. “It’s going to be loud, so we’re gonna have to prepare for that in practice every day. You can’t make football bigger than football is.”
Throughout his offseason battle with Tramell Jones Jr. and since being named the starter, Philo has garnered praise from his coaches and teammates for his calm demeanor and ability to stay grounded through both the highs and the lows. Linebacker Myles Graham called Philo a “football dude” and praised him for being a great leader. Tight end Luke Harpring, one of Philo’s former Georgia Tech teammates, said he is a “very steady quarterback.”
While he may not be as battle-tested as other quarterbacks around the country, his ability to bounce back has been noted. After throwing an interception in the season opener – one that was not his fault, as receiver Micah Mays Jr. dropped the pass – he eventually answered with a touchdown drive capped off by a 10-yard pass to Duke Clark on a scramble drill.
Last week against Campbell, an incomplete pass on a deep ball – once again, one that was not his fault as there was apparant miscommunication by the receivers – on the first play was quickly answered by a 24-yard pass to Bailey Stockton that set up a short touchdown run by Philo.
He has also shown a strong ability to extend plays with his legs, both by rushing and by moving in the pocket to find receivers. His 40-yard touchdown on Saturday to Dallas Wilson highlights this.
“I believe in him because he’s competitive. He’s a good leader,” head coach Jon Sumrall said. “I think you can tell his teammates like playing with him. He’s just the kind of guy that you like having on your side because he’s confident in nature, not easily rattled. Something didn’t go his way. He shrugs it off and got a short memory, which you got to be able to have at times at quarterback.”
Offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, who recruited Philo to Georgia Tech, is not surprised by Philo’s demeanor. First meeting Philo early in his high school career, Faulkner said Philo’s ability to stay even-keeled stood out to him right away and continues to be key as he emerges as a leader with the Gators.
“One thing I think about him is as an 18-year-old, 20-year-old now, he’s extremely comfortable in his own skin,” Faulkner said. “You notice that at a young age, and I think that’s what kind of separates him, right. He’s gonna be him all the time, right, like I said he’s comfortable with himself and the way his leadership style is, and I think people respond to that.”
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Flordia will need that on Saturday.
Jordan-Hare Stadium is known for its hostile crowds, and with a rivalry renewing for both Florida’s and Auburn’s SEC opener, Philo and the Gator offense will have to be ready to deal with crowd noise for the first time this season.
Sumrall said Florida will “work crowd noise in practice” this week to simulate the expected environment on Saturday night. Philo is no stranger to hostile crowds despite his lack of true playing experience. As a true freshman, Philo came off the bench and threw for 184 yards in a 21-6 loss at Virginia Tech.
“Communication is going to be key, so we got to make sure our communication is on point,” Philo said, pointing to that experience.
Nonetheless, Philo’s personality and leadership, as well as his emerging production leading the Gators high-powered offense, gives Florida a chance to overcome the crowd and a strong Auburn defense on Saturday.
“If he plays like he’s played through the first part of this year, he will give us a chance to win every week,” Sumrall said, “That’s all you can ask.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/florida as QB Philo Ready for First Test as Gators Open SEC Play at Auburn.
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This story was originally published September 16, 2026 at 5:00 AM.