Jon Sumrall: Florida’s Quarterback Battle Still Even After First Scrimmage

Florida football completed its first fall scrimmage Aug. 15, giving coach Jon Sumrall and his staff another opportunity to evaluate the Gators with the season opener against Florida Atlantic less than three weeks away. Sumrall spoke to the media Monday morning about the team’s progress.

The Gators ran 127 total plays, with 50 going to the first team, 43 to the second and 34 to the third during the scrimmage. While Sumrall spoke positively overall, he also pointed to several improvement areas.

“I liked the flow of what we did,” he said. “Some good, some bad, a lot to clean up.”

With time ticking down, one of the team’s biggest questions remains unanswered. The quarterback competition between Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo and redshirt freshman Tramell Jones Jr. continues, with Sumrall still not pointing to either player as having a clear advantage.

“I’m not going to sit here and say one guy is way ahead because they are both doing good work, but I do feel like we’re in a position where nobody is going to take the snap game one, snap one, because the other guy has done a poor job,” he said.

Philo took the majority of first-team snaps Saturday. Despite throwing the scrimmage’s only interception, he continued on to throw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Bailey Stockton. Sumrall said his response after the turnover was one of the more impressive aspects of his game.

“[He had a] bad play and then followed it up with really good football afterwards, and that’s the quarterback position,” he said. “You’re going to throw a pick and the whole crowd’s going to boo, and what do you do next? That says a lot about you.”

Jones showed several strong plays, including a touchdown pass to tight end Amir Jackson. Sumrall said he has made significant progress but still needed to improve.

“The biggest growth he’s got to continue to make is operating from the line of scrimmage, with shifts, motions, those kinds of things,” he said. “We can’t have a motion called and not bring a guy in motion. But he’s making plays. He’s very comfortable in the pocket, he’s got great energy, he’s got good touch on the football.”

The quarterback competition was only one area under evaluation. Sumrall said he was discontent with some of the team’s procedural problems during the scrimmage, including two false starts involving wide receivers.

Sumrall also said the defense’s tackling was decent for a first scrimmage but identified tackling in space as an area of improvement.

Additionally, Florida managed several injuries throughout the weekend. Wide receiver Vernell Brown III missed the scrimmage with a bruised foot suffered during Thursday’s practice but returned to full practice Monday. Defensive back Dijon Johnson was also held out as a precaution and returned Monday. Defensive end Kamran James, running back Duke Clark, wide receiver Jaylen Lloyd and defensive back Javion Toombs were among the players who had limited playing time due to injury. Sumrall emphasized the importance of not fighting through injuries during camp.

Defensive back Jordy Lowery was the only player injured during the scrimmage. Sumrall said Lowery suffered a soft-tissue injury after about a dozen plays.

“[It’s] really frustrating because honestly, his arrow was up off of training camp in the spring,” Sumrall said. “He’s been a pleasant surprise, so disappointed for him. It’s not going to be a terribly long-term deal, but a soft-tissue deal that we’ll just have to see how he responds.”

Sumrall also spoke about the offensive line, noting the group’s need for consistency and expressing confidence in the play of the interior.

He pointed to several players when discussing the line’s development, noting strides made by redshirt sophomore Eagan Boyer, sophomore Emeka Ugorji and redshirt freshman TJ Dice Jr., while emphasizing the consistency Bryce Lovett needs to demonstrate his full talent. Redshirt junior Caden Jones was also noted as a veteran the staff wants to see take a bigger step forward.

As Florida continues to evaluate its roster, Sumrall noted that scrimmages can only show so much about a team prior to in-season competition.

“We’ve got to figure out who we are,” he said. “I’m still not completely sure yet. I mean, I have some ideas, but until you go and do it against somebody else wearing a different colored jersey, you don’t ever really know.”

Florida will continue fall practice this week before holding its second scrimmage Saturday at 7:45 p.m.

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