Aaron Philo: Florida quarterback's Georgia connection could face a test

Florida quarterback Aaron Philo holds the all-time passing yardage record in Georgia high school football with 13,922 yards. He won multiple state championships at Prince Avenue Christian School in Bogart before transferring to the University of Florida. His offensive coordinator at Prince Avenue was Jon Richt, the son of former Georgia head coach Mark Richt. Both quarterbacks who played before and after Philo at that school, Brock Vandagriff and Jake Bobo, went on to play for Georgia.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart has a personal history with Philo due to that coaching connection. Smart told reporters he has a lot of respect for Philo's toughness and the way he plays. Smart noted that Philo was right there by them and that Georgia had a great relationship with his high school coach. However, Smart expressed concern about how well Philo will handle the transition to SEC competition. He said, “We’ll see where he’s at. I mean, he was right here by us. Obviously, we had a great relationship with his coach. I’ve got a lot of respect for his toughness, the way he plays and how much better he’s gotten.”

Philo has struggled in recent games. Florida lost to Texas A&M 82-54 in the season opener. He threw two interceptions in that game and completed only 57.0% of his passes. The Gators also lost to South Alabama earlier in the season. Philo missed the final game of the 2024 season due to an injury. He has not played in a game since July 2025.

Smart compared Philo to other quarterbacks who have made the jump from high school to the SEC. He mentioned that some quarterbacks who looked good in high school have struggled in college. Smart said, “We’ll see where he’s at. I mean, he was right here by us. Obviously, we had a great relationship with his coach. I’ve got a lot of respect for his toughness, the way he plays and how much better he’s gotten.” He added that the competition level is different and that quarterbacks who play well in high school sometimes do not adjust as quickly as expected.

Philo has not ruled out playing in the next game against Georgia. He said he is ready to go and wants to show what he can do. He said, “When I want to, I want to show you all what I can do.” He added that he is not worried about the pressure. He said, “I don’t worry about it. I’m just trying to play football.”

The Florida coaching staff is monitoring Philo’s progress. They want to see how he handles the tempo and the speed of the SEC. They are not rushing him back into the lineup. They want to make sure he is ready before giving him the starting job. The next test will be against Georgia, a team with deep ties to his high school program.

Philo’s last start was in the 2024 season. He has been practicing with the team since then. He has shown improvement in recent weeks. The coaching staff is optimistic about his development. They believe he has the tools to succeed in the SEC. The key will be how he handles the pressure of playing in a big game against a familiar program.