Sumrall goes back to Kentucky with Florida's season on the line: the Thursday notebook

Frame from Florida Gators/UAA video.

Jon Sumrall played linebacker at Kentucky, led the Wildcats in tackles as a senior and started his coaching life there as a graduate assistant. On Saturday night he brings Florida into Kroger Field for the first time as a head coach, with a 5-4 team that has lost four of its past five games and a quarterback decision that became public before he ever announced it. Kickoff between Florida (5-4, 3-4 SEC) and Kentucky (7-2, 5-2) is set for 6:15 p.m. ET on ESPN.

The quarterback question, answered by everybody but Sumrall

CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz reported Thursday that Florida is expected to start Aaron Philo at Kentucky, a report matched by Swamp247 and On3. On3's Gators Online reported the decision was made Monday and that Philo took the first-team practice reps through the week.

Sumrall himself has confirmed nothing. Asked about the position Monday, he said both quarterbacks practiced and remained co-starters on the depth chart. “Both practiced today. There'll be one guy that starts and one guy doesn't,” he said. “You'll find out later in the week, probably. I don't know how it always gets out.”

The change, if it holds, is the latest turn in a two-month shuffle. Philo started Florida's first six games before injuring his throwing shoulder in the loss at South Carolina. Tramell Jones Jr. started the 27-24 win at Texas, Philo returned against Georgia and was pulled in the second quarter, and Jones started last week against Oklahoma, finishing 10 of 22 for 133 yards with two interceptions in the 23-7 loss. By 247Sports' numbers, Philo has completed 110 of 156 passes (70.5 percent) for 1,367 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions this season. Jones is 73 of 111 for 712 yards with four touchdowns and five interceptions.

Buddy Martin made the same call in his Thursday column for GatorBait, writing that Philo's second chance may not come with a third.

Four Gators out, one big man back

The SEC's initial availability report, released Wednesday night, ruled four Gators out for Saturday: wide receiver Vernell Brown III, safety Bryce Thornton, linebacker Jaden Robinson and tight end Evan Chieca. Brown will miss his sixth straight game with a PCL strain suffered against Ole Miss and aggravated before the Georgia game, per Gators Wire. Edge rusher Kofi Asare and defensive lineman DK Kalu were listed as questionable.

Thornton's absence is the freshest problem. The starting safety has 28 tackles and three pass breakups this season, per the Gainesville Sun, which reported Alfonzo Allen Jr. or Lagonza Hayward would step in for him. Kentucky also listed four players out, among them receiver Nic Anderson.

The good news for Florida's front: defensive tackle Jeramiah McCloud is back after a one-game suspension and expected to play, as we reported earlier this week.

Familiar faces on the other sideline

Sumrall is not the only homecoming on the Florida sideline. Defensive coordinator Brad White ran Kentucky's defense from 2019 through 2025 before joining Sumrall's staff, per the Louisville Courier-Journal. And two defensive backs Sumrall inherited and then lost to the transfer portal, Jordan Castell and Aaron Gates, are on the other side now.

“Those were two guys I wanted to keep,” Sumrall said Monday. Castell has four interceptions, tied for the SEC lead, and Gates has a career-high seven pass breakups, per 247Sports.

What Saturday decides

Kentucky won six straight before its open date, then lost 34-6 at Tennessee, and per the Courier-Journal the Wildcats are playing to stay in the College Football Playoff race under first-year coach Will Stein. Florida is playing for something more basic. The Gators started 4-0 and climbed to No. 8 in the polls. Since the start of October they are 1-4, with every loss by at least 16 points, per the Courier-Journal, and they have scored two touchdowns in their last two games, per the Gainesville Sun.

Franz Beard's Wednesday column argued the deficiencies have been there all along.

Saturday night is Florida's first chance to answer him. Oddsmakers made Kentucky a 3.5-point favorite, and the Courier-Journal picked the Wildcats to win 31-20. Florida leads the series 54-21, but Kentucky has won the last three meetings in Lexington, per the Sun. A Gators win makes them bowl-eligible with two games to spare. A loss drops them to 5-5 and turns the final two weeks into a salvage operation.