Florida will start Tramell Jones Jr. at quarterback against Texas, sources told ESPN, with Aaron Philo's availability to serve as an emergency backup to be determined during warmups. Jones made his first career start against the No. 7 Longhorns. Philo is dealing with a shoulder injury that he suffered late in Florida's 38-19 home loss to South Carolina last Saturday and was limited in practice this week.
He had been listed as a game-time decision on the SEC availability report. Jones, a sophomore, replaced Philo in the fourth quarter against the Gamecocks and threw for 40 yards on 6-of-8 passing with an interception while leading one late touchdown drive in the loss. Florida star wide receiver Vernell Brown III is also dressed, but his status to play was still unclear.
Wide receiver Bailey Stockton is expected to play. The Gators got off to a 4-0 start and a rapid rise to No. 8 in the AP Top 25, but they dropped out of the Top 25 following back-to-back losses to Missouri and South Carolina. Information from ESPN's Max Olson was used in this report.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing