The Film Guy: What Florida Fans Need to Know About Gators QB Aaron Philo

It was recently reported that Aaron Philo was going to be named the starting quarterback for the University of Florida. We’re here to break down a little tape for you.

A lot of the quarterback battles we’ve covered have featured an elder statesman competing against a younger, highly talented player. In two of those instances, the younger player ultimately won the job: Keelon Russell at Alabama and Faizon Brandon at Tennessee.

This one is different.

Philo is not some inexperienced quarterback who has barely seen the field. He has three games in his career with more than 25 passing attempts. And while playing behind Haynes King at Georgia Tech, he was thrown into some wildfires under Buster Faulkner’s system.

We watched a lot of Philo’s tape in the spring when it was announced that he would transfer to Florida and follow Faulkner, his offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech. Today, we’re going to watch even more of that footage and show you what Florida is getting at quarterback.

The film also provides a good taste of what Faulkner’s offense will look like. Florida fans saw part of it during the spring game, but that barely scratched the surface. You didn’t get all the eye candy or the pre-snap magic because Florida wasn’t going to show everything it could do during a spring game.

You’ll get plenty of that once the season begins.

Let’s shut up and grind the tape.

Thrown Into the Fire Against Virginia Tech

We’ll start with the Virginia Tech game, when Philo was thrown into the fire as a true freshman.

Georgia Tech had built its quarterback room around King and Zach Pyron, two bigger quarterbacks who could run downhill, tote the rock and handle contact. Philo is also a big dude at roughly 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, but I wouldn’t call him a dynamic designed runner. He and those other quarterbacks are different types of athletes.

The situation wasn’t ideal for a freshman making his first appearance. Georgia Tech was down 15 points on the road, Virginia Tech knew a pass was coming and Philo faced third-and-15 on his first attempt of the game.

That’s ideal, huh?

Philo responded by ripping a dig route directly onto his receiver for a big-time first down. It immediately showed one of the defining traits of his game: This kid can throw really, really good fastballs.

We always separate arm strength from arm talent. Philo has plenty of arm strength. The ball zips out of his hand, and he throws a heavy football. The larger question is whether he has all the arm talent in the world – the ability to change speeds, alter trajectories and make accurate throws without a clean platform.

He reminded me of Arch Manning in that respect. Manning doesn’t always play with much touch or finesse, and young Philo didn’t, either. Instead of calmly flicking the ball to a running back when pressure arrives, he wants to throw it through the guy’s face mask.

There is no doubt about the arm strength. The touch is what needed development.

Efficient Movement Inside the Pocket

Philo also showed really good pocket mobility. He threw the ball a ton in high school and broke the Georgia high school state passing record, and you can see that experience in the way he moves.

On one play against Virginia Tech, pressure forces him to climb the pocket with his feet parallel to the line of scrimmage. He gets them tied back to his target in two quick movements and lets the ball rip.

The result is an absolute dot delivered in stride.

A quarterback has two acceptable options on that throw: Hit the receiver in stride or underthrow him slightly. What can he not do? Overthrow him.

You can have the biggest arm in the world and throw it 75 yards, but that doesn’t matter if nobody is down there. Philo gives his receiver a chance while demonstrating how quickly he can reset his feet after moving inside the pocket.

That is a true freshman in his first meaningful game action. This wasn’t mop-up duty where he handed the ball off a few times and maybe got to throw a screen.

Toughness Is Not a Concern

Philo is a tough son of a gun in the pocket. The Virginia Tech tape makes that obvious.

However, he didn’t always need to prove it. On one first-and-10, Virginia Tech buzzed the nickel while Georgia Tech had a seam route called for the tight end. Philo held the football and took a big shot while trying to create a kill shot of his own.

The running back was standing in the flat. Play hot, get rid of the football and give yourself a chance to face second-and-two.

We love tough football players, and Philo is certainly one of them. But toughness doesn’t require taking an unnecessary hit when the defense gives you an easy completion.

He also showed that he could create outside the pocket. On a first-and-15, Virginia Tech brought pressure against a switch release. Philo escaped, kept his eyes downfield and ripped a completion toward the sideline.

That play gave us a sense of what kind of athlete he is. He’s good enough to run away from a 280-pounder. I don’t know if he’s good enough to run away from a 245-pounder, but we’ll find out.

Philo Throws a Heavy Football

Another Virginia Tech play illustrates what I mean when I say Philo throws a heavy football.

His hands separate before the receiver begins turning toward him, allowing the pass to arrive ahead of schedule. The receiver rotates his entire body instead of snapping his head out of the break, and the ball is already on him.

It arrives violently.

Some quarterbacks are nice and whippy, and the ball seems to float into the receiver. Philo’s football is going to arrive.

It’s like pitching. Not all 92-mph fastballs are created equal. Some are 92 out of the hand and 89 at the plate. Others are 92 out of the hand and 84 at the plate. Philo’s is going to be 92 out of the hand and 89 at the plate.

But the receiver has to expect it. Snap your head out of the break. We have a quarterback who threw the ball a lot in high school, and he was already throwing ahead of schedule as a true freshman.

The placement was slightly low on that play, and a few other passes nosed down because Philo was overthrowing. Still, his eyes and feet were in the right places. On a play-action concept featuring a post and a dig, his feet were tied to his eyes and he made the correct decision. He simply needed a better ball.

Aggressive Throws Without Blind Decisions

Philo is going to put the ball at risk sometimes, but his mistakes generally aren’t going to be the “Coach, I didn’t see that guy” variety.

They’re more likely to be the result of trying to do too much.

Against Virginia Tech, he tested tight windows near safeties on consecutive throws. It wasn’t that he failed to see the defenders. He trusted his ability to beat them with the football.

We can live with that while a young quarterback learns what he can and cannot get away with. What we can’t live with is a quarterback throwing directly into an underneath defender and returning to the sideline with no idea what happened.

Philo also showed anticipation against zone coverage. When Virginia Tech jammed the game receiver, Philo waited one hitch for the route to clear and ripped the ball into the opening. Without the contact, I believe the pass would have come out at the top of his drop.

We love anticipatory throws into zone windows.

That’s what we call playing the position, ladies and gentlemen.

His late interception also needs context. Georgia Tech trailed by 15 with less than two minutes remaining, so it was time to put the football at risk. The pass gave the receiver a chance, but he couldn’t hold on through contact and the ball ended up going the other way.

Not all interceptions are created equal.

Processing NC State’s Defense

The NC State game provides an even better look at Philo’s processing because he had to take over after King was injured.

On an early third-and-seven, Georgia Tech ran mesh against what appeared to be man coverage. We read mesh from the bottom up against man and from the top down against zone. The low route had leverage and room to run, so Philo should have taken it immediately.

Instead, he attacked a receiver beyond the sticks. It was the wrong decision, and the ball was late, but the throw itself was excellent. Philo released it while the receiver still appeared covered and put it directly on his face in a competitive location.

I would rather have the correct decision and the correct placement, but I’ll take a young quarterback aggressively throwing beyond the sticks on third down and giving his receiver a chance.

Another play-action concept showed where his progression needed work. The design appeared to read from the post to the sail route and then to the hot option in the flat. Philo opened to the post, moved down to the flat and then returned to the sail.

That’s too much.

The sail was open on the second hitch, but Philo didn’t throw it until the third. By then, the corner had sunk underneath the route.

The progression has to move from top to bottom or bottom to top. It can’t go top, bottom, middle. That makes the quarterback late, and being late against zone coverage creates opportunities to turn the ball over.

This is also important context for Florida fans evaluating Philo’s experience. He wasn’t a career backup who never prepared to play. With the way King played, Philo had to prepare throughout the week as if he could be needed at any moment.

Communicating Through Ball Placement

One of Philo’s best decisions against NC State initially looked like a missed opportunity.

Georgia Tech ran play action with a tight end crossing into open grass. It would be easy to ask why Philo didn’t wait for that route to develop, but pressure was coming from his exposed left edge. He had to play hot and get the football out.

Philo threw to another tight end underneath and placed the ball on his back shoulder, turning him away from a buzz-flat defender. A pass in front of the tight end’s face would have led him directly into a huge hit.

We call that a stopper ball.

Quarterbacks have to communicate with ball placement. They can see the defenders in front of their intended targets; the receivers cannot. Philo used the location of the pass to tell his tight end to stop while also protecting him from contact.

That’s an impressive play from a young quarterback. He recognized pressure, played hot and took care of his receiver.

Faulkner Uses the Screen Game to Create Explosives

The NC State tape also shows why I love Buster Faulkner and all the great coordinators who build their offenses around the screen game.

Georgia Tech didn’t even need to run a traditional screen-and-go to manipulate the defense. One eligible receiver released into the flat and turned toward Philo as a hot option, while the other receivers ran their normal routes downfield.

NC State had seen so many screens on film and early in the game that its defenders immediately drove toward the flat.

Ain’t nothing going there, bud. That route is only the hot.

The reaction opened a sail route to Bailey Stockton, and Philo ripped a bean from the hash to the sideline.

I’ve seen Florida fans question this kid’s arm strength. I’ve even heard the phrase “noodle arm.”

Can you believe that?

An offensive coordinator doesn’t call a far-hash sail route in a real football game if he is worried about his quarterback’s arm strength. Faulkner called the game like he knew Philo could drive the football.

So, keep tweeting about it. Good job.

The Difference Between Strength and Touch

The film doesn’t make me question whether Philo can drive the ball. It makes me wonder whether he can consistently take something off it.

That’s where the Arch Manning comparison comes back. Young Philo didn’t always have the ability to flick the football into space. He wanted to throw everything at full speed.

I was the same way as a baseball player. I had to throw the ball as hard as I could to throw strikes. I couldn’t work through a start at 85, 86 or 87 mph and save the 90-mph fastball for when I needed it. I had to operate at 100%.

That’s why I was a better closer than a starter.

Some quarterbacks are the same way. They feel like they have to rip every football to be accurate.

Philo doesn’t always have to do that. He needs to play with a little touch.

The good news is that we’re evaluating year-one tape while Philo is now entering year three. He may have added more finesse as his career progressed.

Take What the Defense Gives You

Philo’s competitiveness occasionally worked against him.

On one first-and-10, NC State’s underneath defenders bailed nearly 10 yards off the line of scrimmage. Philo tried to drive a seam throw into a narrow window and nearly had it intercepted.

I love the competitiveness. Hell, I love the window and where the football ended up. I would bet that whoever runs that route for Florida catches it.

But the running back was open underneath with space to gain 10 or 15 yards. Jamal Haynes might have done something crazy after the catch, and Jadan Baugh could do the same at Florida.

Five will get you 10. Dump the ball off and live to fight another day.

If we’re playing the NCAA video game, I’m ripping that seam too, big dog. But this is real-life football.

Understanding What He Can and Cannot Do

The clearest distinction between arm strength and arm talent came on third-and-14.

Philo escaped pressure to his left and attempted to throw a post roughly 50 yards downfield while sprinting toward the sideline. There may be seven human beings on Earth who can make that throw, and he isn’t one of them.

You are not this guy, pal. Just take off and do something else.

I appreciate the competitive integrity on third-and-long, but he didn’t need to attempt an impossible throw. NC State rushed three and dropped eight, giving him time to reset and work back to a tight end who eventually ran into open grass.

Philo nearly completed the pass into what amounted to triple coverage, which says something about his arm. The better decision was still available underneath.

That theme appeared again against Gardner-Webb. On third-and-three, Philo drifted east and west while attempting to throw north and south. His feet weren’t in the ground, his back hip couldn’t fire through and the pass quacked like a duck on its way to an interception.

Philo is an arm-strength quarterback. He is at his best when his feet are connected to the throw and he can drive off his back hip.

We’re a closer, baby. We’re not trying to paint a changeup on the black.

Self-awareness is very important – not just for football players, but for everyone reading at home. Know what you are. Know what you ain’t.

Winning the Two-Minute Drill

The end of the NC State game showed why Georgia Tech trusted Philo despite those freshman mistakes.

With the game on the line, he moved the offense downfield in four plays. He delivered the first completion beneath the receiver’s face, then checked the ball down on the next snap rather than risking a sack.

That was Philo learning from the earlier plays. NC State wanted to bail into soft coverage, so he gave the ball to a running back and let him create after the catch.

With 41 seconds left, the defense parted the Red Sea. Philo understood that he couldn’t take a sack, pulled the ball down and ran for roughly 15 yards.

Boom. We love that.

NC State made the same mistake on the next play and opened another running lane. Philo took it and scored the winning touchdown.

I’m a true freshman. I just beat NC State in the two-minute drill. How about that?

Philo is not an elite athlete, but he’s a good enough athlete to be a willing runner in college football. Florida doesn’t need to give him 12 designed carries per game. When the defense opens a lane in a critical situation, however, he can take advantage of it.

Learning From Mistakes Against Gardner-Webb

The following season, Philo broke Georgia Tech’s single-game passing record against Gardner-Webb. His first throw showed that he was a little too juiced up, as he sailed the ball over an open receiver.

We cannot overthrow open receivers.

Later in the same game, Philo got another chance. This time, he left the ball slightly underneath the receiver and allowed him to make the catch.

Ideally, the pass hits the receiver in stride and sends him racing toward the end zone. But quarterbacks sometimes overthrow those balls while trying to be perfect. Philo made the correction within the same start and ensured his receiver had a chance.

He also made a costly mistake on an RPO. Philo pulled the ball from the running back, decided not to throw when the hook-curl defender disrupted his read and then held it while the pass rush closed around him.

At that point, eat the football and start going down. Defenders are going to arrive quickly, even against Gardner-Webb.

Philo exposed himself to a big hit, lost the ball and ended Georgia Tech’s opening possession with a turnover. He can’t do that against better competition.

Playing Within His Range

The Gardner-Webb tape also showed Philo making difficult throws within his actual range.

On one designed rollout, he moved left, squared his shoulders and delivered an accurate pass roughly 35 yards downfield. That is a throw he has in his bag.

It’s much different from trying to throw the ball 50 or 55 yards while sprinting left against NC State. Very few people on the planet can make that throw. Philo doesn’t need to be one of them.

Another play showed him escape pressure by climbing underneath it with two hands on the ball. He kept his eyes downfield, got flat and found Stockton.

Look at that two-handed monster.

Bailey Stockton is a nice insurance policy. Everybody needs car insurance.

Philo wasn’t perfect once he escaped. On a later rollout, he ran ahead of his tight end and outpaced the timing of the concept. By the time he reached his throwing point, the route hadn’t developed and the tight end was behind him. Seeing it would have required Philo to turn and throw back across his body.

That’s not what we want. The quarterback and his routes must remain in sync.

Some of that will be cleaned up with experience.

The Details Still Matter

There is plenty for Philo to improve.

He missed an easy screen throw against Gardner-Webb while pressure arrived in his face. Quarterbacks practice those throws constantly. If we do nothing else during individual drills, we’re going to work on the footwork for screen passes and practice flipping the ball into space.

We have to be better there, Q.

His ball placement on a sail concept also cost the receiver yards after the catch. The decision was correct, but the pass forced the receiver to stop and adjust.

Let’s not tackle the YAC with ball placement. Put it on his face and let him run.

I understand why Florida fans may watch practice and conclude that Tramell Jones Jr. has more natural arm talent. He may look prettier making some of these throws, and the ball may jump out of his hand a little differently.

But the tape shows that Philo can play the position at a high rate. His feet are consistently tied to his eyes, which is not something we see from many young quarterbacks.

There is still room to grow, but the foundation is there.

Final Thoughts on Aaron Philo

I think we’ve seen enough.

Philo is pretty damn good, and I think the film says the same thing.

I’m excited to see what he does with the immense talent Florida has at wide receiver. Faulkner trusts his arm enough to call far-hash sail routes, switch releases and throws outside the numbers. Philo has the pocket movement, toughness and processing ability to run the offense at a high level.

He’ll put the ball at risk at times, and he still needs to improve his touch, ball placement and willingness to take easy completions. But his mistakes usually come from being too competitive, not from failing to understand what the defense is doing.

It’s going to be hard to be bad at quarterback at Florida this year.

And if they are, it’s the offensive line’s fault.