Tramell Jones Jr. is expected to take over as Florida's starting quarterback when the No. 24 Gators host Oklahoma on Saturday night, a source confirmed to ESPN.
Coach Jon Sumrall declined to publicly name a starter on Monday, though he adjusted his depth chart to list an "or" between Jones and Aaron Philo. Sumrall said he had "a plan that is already kind of in motion and in place."
The anticipated change comes after Sumrall benched Philo during Saturday's 27-8 loss to Georgia. Philo threw two interceptions in that game, and Jones, who replaced him in the second quarter, committed two turnovers of his own and nearly had a third that was wiped out by a penalty.
Sumrall said the hardest part of evaluating his quarterbacks is Florida's struggling offensive line, which has made it difficult to judge which player gives the Gators (5-3, 3-3 SEC) the better shot against the Sooners (4-4, 2-3) in the Swamp.
"I don't know if Tom Brady was our quarterback on Saturday if it would have helped us," Sumrall said. "And I'm not trying to be a smart aleck. He would have been under too much duress and pressure to operate."
CBS Sports first reported the planned switch from Philo to Jones for the Oklahoma game.
Jones has completed 70.8% of his passes this season for 579 yards, with four touchdowns and three interceptions, and he has added 77 rushing yards and a score. His only previous start came last month at Texas, a win, while Philo was sidelined with a shoulder injury.
With that victory, Jones became the first Florida quarterback since Jesse Palmer in 1997 to win his first career start on the road against a top-10 team. He completed 22 of 35 passes for 155 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions against the Longhorns. Days later, Sumrall revealed Jones was playing through an injury that could require offseason surgery.
Philo, meanwhile, has completed 70.5% of his throws for 1,367 yards, with nine touchdowns and five interceptions, along with 104 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
His first interception against Georgia was one Sumrall said he had never seen before. Philo stumbled while trying to escape a sack on the opening series and tossed an underhand pass toward the sideline in an attempt to throw the ball away, only for Georgia cornerback Ellis Robinson IV to catch it. Philo was benched after another interception two drives later. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
