Philo's injury could give Tramell Jones Jr. his opening

Aaron Philo, No. 12, at left, and Tramell Jones Jr., No. 9, at right, on Florida's sideline against South Carolina on Oct. 10, 2026. Photo by Chris Spears, GatorBait Media.

On June 2, 1925, Wally Pipp suffered what has become known as the most famous headache in history. Legend has it that Pipp asked for the day off because of a raging headache, so New York Yankees manager Miller Huggins replaced him in the starting lineup with Lou Gehrig, who went 3-for-5 against the Washington Senators.

It was years before Gehrig relinquished his job as the Yankees' first baseman (2,130 consecutive games played). Pipp was sold to Cincinnati in 1926.

When it comes to University of Florida football, there have been a couple of notable injuries in recent years.

In 2019, Feleipe Franks dislocated his ankle at Kentucky with the Gators trailing 21-10 late in the third quarter. Kyle Trask led the Gators to a stunning comeback for a 29-21 UF win and never looked back. He started the rest of the year and in 2020 finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting.

In 2024, Graham Mertz had the Gators teetering on the verge of an upset of Tennessee in Knoxville when he tore an ACL. Freshman DJ Lagway filled in the rest of the way as the Gators dropped a 23-17 decision to the Vols, but Lagway would go on to lead the Gators to an 8-5 record, their only winning record other than the Trask-led Gators 8-4 mark in 2020 during the six seasons from 2020 through 2025.

It is unfortunate, but so often one man's injury is another man's opportunity. It was reported Wednesday that Florida (4-2, 2-2 SEC) starting quarterback Aaron Philo's availability is uncertain for Saturday's game in Austin against No. 7 Texas (4-1, 1-1 SEC). If Philo is unable to answer the bell against Texas (noon ET, ABC), Tramell Jones Jr. will be the starter. Jones is next in line as the Gators prep for the Longhorns.

The Gainesville Sun reported that Philo suffered a shoulder injury in the Gators' 38-19 loss to South Carolina, a game that was finished by sophomore Jones. There has been no indication if it was Philo's right (throwing) or left shoulder, which could be the deciding factor in whether or not he is fit to play.

If Philo is a no-go and Jones plays very well, either leading the Gators to what would be a stunning upset or a white-knuckle finish, would Sumrall abide by that unwritten football rule that you don't lose your starting job because of an injury or would he roll the dice and go with Jones against Georgia in two weeks?

The old football rule sounds very good and reeks of loyalty but doesn't necessarily fly in this modern age when coaches are paid millions. There aren't that many seven-figure jobs to be had, so if a replacement QB steps in and has a hot hand, is he relegated back to the bench when the injured player is healthy again?

Sumrall has said more than once that he believes the Gators can win with either Philo or Jones at quarterback, but certainly experience favors Philo, who has started all six games at UF including two on the road in SEC play (Auburn and Missouri).

Jones has played in seven games, all of them off the bench. His career stats are 44-for-64 passing (68.75 percent) for 443 yards (6.92 yards per attempt) with four touchdown passes and two interceptions. In his last two SEC games, Jones is 11-13 for 126 yards with one TD and one interception.

COUNTDOWN TO FIRING DAY: OCTOBER 15, 2026 EDITION

EXTINCT SPECIES LIST

Keep an eye on what happens with Rutgers at Maryland and Florida State at Miami.

ON LIFE SUPPORT

Mike Norvell, Florida State: The Seminoles led Louisville 14-0 in the first quarter, then lost the next three quarters 44-6. That was bad. What promises to happen this weekend at Miami will be even worse. The boosters want Norvell gone, but the buyout remains a major obstacle. That leaves two choices: Keep Norvell another year (bad) or convince Jimbo to coach for $1 million to $2 million for the next five years (bad idea, but better than keeping him).

Dave Doeren, North Carolina State: The next six games are actually winnable but anything more than 3-3 or 4-2 would be a miracle. He has won more than he's lost but the faithful want more than bowl games in scenic, exotic locales like Shreveport. He will be gone with a losing season and could be gone with a break-even record.

Mike Locksley, Maryland: If the Turtles figure out a way to lose to Rutgers this weekend, Locks could be the first coaching domino to fall. Maryland has given up 182 points during its four-game skid. Only Saturday's game with Rutgers looks remotely winnable. Maryland is a former ACC school trying to compete in the Big Ten and it's just not working out. Locksley's buyout is cheap comparatively speaking.

Greg Schiano, Rutgers: A 1-6 record the rest of the way would be a small miracle. The one chance is Saturday at Maryland. This could be a loser gets voted off the island kind of game. The only thing that will stand in the way of Schiano getting pink-slipped is the buyout - which is roughly $18.5 million after the 2026 season.

Bill O'Brien, Boston College: There are a couple of saving graces working in O'Brien's favor. First off, BC might spend less on football than any power conference team, so the fact he has the Eagles competitive could help him keep his job at least one more year. Second, the Eagles are competitive. They've lost two straight to Virginia Tech and SMU by a combined 16 points. Virginia Tech had to rally for two fourth quarter touchdowns to win. If any of the remaining teams other than Notre Dame and Miami blows the Eagles out, however, it could be the end of the line for O'Brien.

Joe Moorhead, Akron: The Zips are 1-5, going absolutely nowhere. He's 14-40 for his career at Akron. He's lasted this long because Akron really doesn't have the money to go through the firing and hiring process even though Moorhead works very cheap. Miami (Ohio) should handle the Zips easily this week but the admin is unlikely to do anything until season's end.

ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST

Steve Sarkisian, Texas: The Longhorns are 4-1, formerly ranked No. 1. The Aggies await in the season finale. Anything less than 10-2 and Sark's job could be on the line. The buyout won't faze the boosters. Only God has more money than the Longhorns.

Shane Beamer, South Carolina: He had one foot out the door last Saturday morning. By Saturday evening, he was off life support and moved to the Endangered Species List. The win over Florida is only a temporary reprieve. Now Beamer has to figure out a way to win four of the next six starting with Tennessee on Oct. 24 in Columbia.

Bill Belichick, North Carolina: Beating Pitt on the road last week renewed hope among the faithful that perhaps Belichick can make the Tar Heels relevant on the national stage. The Heels are 3-2 this year and with the exception of Miami, there isn't a game on the remaining schedule that UNC can't win. All the same, he's got to get the Tar Heels bowl eligible.

Deion Sanders, Colorado: Three straight losses and now Utah and Okie State back-to-back. The Buffs are 2-3 and will struggle to get to six wins. Six will buy another year. Five and things get really dicey.

Dave Aranda, Baylor: The Bears are 4-1 and could be 8-1 before closing out the season with the (at) BYU, Texas Tech, (at) Houston gauntlet. Seven wins and Aranda's off the hook. Eight or nine and he gets a contract extension.

Lincoln Riley, Southern Cal: The Trojans are 6-1 so why is Riley in any kind of trouble. Well, it has everything to do with no championships since he came to LA from Oklahoma. His tenure this year will be judged by what he does in games against Ohio State, Indiana and UCLA.

Butch Jones, Arkansas State: He's 2-4 but Jones has made a habit of winning more than he loses in the second half of the season. He probably won't get canned this year unless the Red Wolves go completely in the tank, but if he doesn't get to six wins in the regular season his seat will be very hot to start 2027.

Brent Venables, Oklahoma: The win over Texas was a shocker. The next three games - Kentucky, (at) Mississippi State and South Carolina - are must win games. A 6-2 record heading into November will have the Sooners in line for a CFP at-large.

Dabo Swinney, Clemson: The Tigers are 3-2, but blessed with seven remaining games that are all very winnable. Clemson really isn't 10 wins good, but the ACC is that bad this year.

Fran Brown, Syracuse: The schedule is brutal and there aren't many potential wins to be had. The Orange are 2-3 and heading for 3-9 or 4-8. Brown won't get fired this year, but he will be on the hot seat next year.