Honestly, if you took a nap during the 2025 Florida football season and just woke up, the depth chart probably looks like a bad fever dream. Everything has changed. The University of Florida quarterback situation is essentially a "blank slate" experiment right now, and if you're looking for the familiar face of DJ Lagway, you're going to be looking for a while. He’s gone. The transfer portal didn't just take a few players this time; it basically gutted the building.
Lagway entering the portal in December 2025 was the "where were you" moment for Gator fans. After two seasons, 4,179 passing yards, and enough flashes of brilliance to make you think a Heisman run was coming, the five-star savior decided to head elsewhere. It’s a tough pill. He left behind a stat line that was... let's call it "complicated." 2,264 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2025, but those 14 interceptions were the kind of mistakes that keep coaches awake at 3:00 AM.
Now, Jon Sumrall is the guy in charge. He’s the new head coach, and he brought Buster Faulkner over from Georgia Tech to run the offense. If you want to know who the University of Florida quarterback is today, on January 17, 2026, you aren't looking at a single locked-in starter. You're looking at a fascinating, high-stakes collision between a record-breaking freshman and a transfer who knows the new system better than anyone else in Gainesville.
The Aaron Philo Factor: More Than Just a Backup
Most people look at Aaron Philo’s stats from Georgia Tech and think "system guy." That is a massive mistake. Philo followed Faulkner to Florida for a reason. While he only threw for 938 yards in his relief appearances behind Haynes King, he holds the Georgia high school state record for career passing yards. Yeah, he beat out Trevor Lawrence.
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Philo is basically the "translator" for this new era. He knows the terminology, he understands the RPO (run-pro-option) timing Faulkner loves, and he’s already graded out with elite marks from PFF in his limited snaps. In 2024 and 2025, he posted offensive grades of 91.3 and 80.0. Those aren't "just a guy" numbers. He’s the safe bet for the Week 1 starter because he won’t be learning the playbook in August; he’ll be teaching it to the rest of the huddle.
Will Griffin and the "Local Hero" Hype
Then there’s Will Griffin. If Aaron Philo is the steady hand, Griffin is the lightning bolt. The Tampa Jesuit product signed in December 2025 as the Gatorade Florida Football Player of the Year. He threw for 12,299 yards and 143 touchdowns in high school. That touchdown mark is number two all-time in Florida history.
People love to compare him to Tim Tebow. It’s lazy, but you can see why. He’s big, he’s a physical runner—296 rushing yards and six scores as a senior—and he actually enjoys the contact. Faulkner turned Haynes King into a legitimate dual-threat weapon at Georgia Tech, and Griffin fits that mold perfectly. He is the long-term future, but in Gainesville, "long-term" usually means "the second the starter throws a pick."
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The Quiet Room: Tramell Jones Jr.
We can't forget Tramell Jones Jr. either. He’s the Jacksonville kid who stepped in when Lagway was benched against Kentucky in 2025. He didn't set the world on fire, but he was efficient. He finished his limited 2025 action with a 71.7 passing grade, which was actually higher than Lagway’s.
He’s the "incumbent" in a room where nobody really feels like they own the seat. Jones is a four-star talent who might get lost in the shuffle of the Philo transfer and the Griffin hype, but he’s the guy who stayed when the portal opened and 30 other players walked out. That counts for something in a locker room trying to find its soul.
Why This Room Is Different Under Jon Sumrall
The Billy Napier era was defined by a specific kind of offensive pace that often felt like it was stuck in second gear. Sumrall and Faulkner are going to change that. They want efficiency and explosive "chunk" plays. This is why the University of Florida quarterback battle is so wide open.
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Sumrall isn't tied to the recruits of the old regime. He needs to win now. If Philo gives him the best chance to beat Miami and survive the SEC gauntlet in 2026, he’ll play. If Griffin’s talent is too loud to ignore, the freshman will be under center.
The biggest misconception right now? That Florida is "rebuilding" at quarterback. They aren't rebuilding; they're retooling. They replaced a high-turnover superstar with a high-efficiency system expert (Philo) and a generational local prospect (Griffin). It’s a risk, sure. Losing a talent like Lagway always is. But the locker room vibe needed a reset, and they got one.
What to Watch This Spring
- The "Faulkner Connection": Watch how quickly Aaron Philo takes command of the first-team reps. His familiarity is his greatest weapon.
- Griffin’s Weight: Will Griffin is a big kid. If he shows up in the spring looking like a linebacker but moving like a point guard, the "Tebow" whispers will become a roar.
- The Portal Window: Don't assume the room is closed. Sumrall is aggressive. If a big-name veteran drops into the spring portal window, Florida will have the NIL space and the roster spot to make a move.
The days of the University of Florida quarterback being a one-man show are over for now. It’s a competition again. And honestly? That might be exactly what this program needs to stop the bleeding and start winning games in the Swamp again.
If you want to keep tabs on this, follow the spring practice reports starting in March. That's when we'll see if Philo's "translator" status actually translates into touchdowns, or if the freshman from Tampa is ready to skip the line. Stop looking at the 2025 stats—they don't matter anymore. This is a brand-new game.