Florida expected to start Tramell Jones at No. 7 Texas as Aaron Philo nurses shoulder

Florida is expected to start sophomore quarterback Tramell Jones on Saturday at No. 7 Texas. Starter Aaron Philo has been dealing with a shoulder injury and was limited in practice all week, according to sources who spoke with On3. Jones took first-team reps, and On3 reported the final call will come Saturday morning. If he starts, it will be the first start of his college career, and it comes on the road against a top-10 team.

ClutchPoints reported that Philo hurt the shoulder in last week's 38-19 home loss to South Carolina. The outlet also pointed to CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz, who reported that the decision was trending toward Jones and that Philo was a game-time decision. Philo has been listed as questionable on the SEC injury report. Gators Wire noted the same status and said Jones chose to stay in Gainesville after Jon Sumrall was hired instead of entering the transfer portal.

The switch matters because Philo has run the offense in every game. The Georgia Tech transfer has thrown for 1,341 yards with nine touchdowns and three interceptions, and ClutchPoints credits him with 104 rushing yards and three more scores. Jones, a former four-star recruit from Jacksonville, has played in five games this season, mostly in the second half. In that time he has completed 23 of 29 passes for 252 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Sumrall has backed him publicly. "I think Tramell can be our starting quarterback here, and we can win football games," the coach said this week, per On3.

What it means for Saturday in Austin

Florida (4-2) arrives having lost two straight, and the defense has been the bigger problem. The Gators gave up 45 points at Missouri and 38 to South Carolina, 83 points in the two losses combined. Before that the offense carried the team. Florida put up 52 points on No. 4 Ole Miss, scored 44 in a win at Auburn and has averaged nearly 42 points a game this season. Keeping that pace with a first-time starter is the main question going into noon on ABC.

Texas (4-1) has scored fewer points but kept games close. Three of the Longhorns' five games were decided by three points or fewer: a 24-23 win over then-No. 1 Ohio State, a 20-17 win at Tennessee and last week's 27-24 loss to Oklahoma. Texas has allowed 16 points per game.

Texas is favored by 11.5 points on Novig at -100. Across the 11 venues on this site's board, the spread ranges from 11 to 12. BetMGM has Texas -11 at -110, and BetRivers has Florida +12 at -114. On the moneyline, Texas is -388 on both Novig and Polymarket, which is the best price available, and Florida is +376 on Novig. The total is 51.5, with the over at +102 on Novig. Sportsbook hold on the spread runs from 3.5% to 6.8%.

Whoever starts for Florida, the Gators have a week to regroup before their next game, while South Carolina goes on to host No. 14 Tennessee on Oct. 24.