Philo will be Tech’s third-string quarterback this week heading into Saturday’s matchup with Virginia Tech at noon. Starter Haynes King, who missed Saturday’s game against No. 12 Notre Dame at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, may be out, with Zach Pyron likely to start in King’s place for the second straight week. High, which means Philo is headed for a road trip to Blacksburg, Virginia. As a backup QB.
If for some reason both King and Pyron are unavailable at any point before or during the game, it will be up to Philo to take the stage for the Yellow Jackets (5-3, 3-2 ACC) in a key road contest. is.
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“He’s a freshman, just like any other freshman. He’s a little bit ahead of the rest of the guys because he had the luxury of being here in the spring,” Georgia Tech coach Brent Key said. said. “But he’s a great kid. Great. He loves playing football. Guys rally around him, guys rally around him. He’s going to be a good player. He really is. I’m happy with his growth.”
Philo (6-foot-2, 215 pounds) had a picturesque career at Prince Avenue Christian, starting 31 games and throwing for a state-record 13,902 yards. This total exceeded the numbers recorded by Georgia high school standouts Trevor Lawrence, Gunner Stockton, Deshaun Watson and Jake Fromm.
Philo’s 159 career touchdown passes are the third-most in Georgia high school history.
He was selected to the 2023 AJC Super 11 and won back-to-back state championships as a starting quarterback. He was named Mr. Georgia by the Atlanta Touchdown Club. He also had over 1,200 rushing yards and 32 points on the ground in his career.
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However, according to the 247Sports Composite, Philo, who previously committed to start his collegiate career at the University of Minnesota, was only rated as a three-star prospect. The only other major programs that offered him a scholarship were Central Florida, Cincinnati, and Indiana.
“He’s not flashy,” Vandagriff said, reasoning that Philo might not be high on the recruiting committee. “But all he does is win, all he does is produce. “And at the end of the day, that’s all you want as a coach.”
Philo told the AJC in December: I play with a shoulder injury to prove I’m the best. ”
Philo had already made his collegiate debut, playing 6:34 in a 59-7 victory over Virginia Military Academy on September 7 at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
He appeared in 10 plays, the first of which was a 1-yard score to wide receiver Abdul-Jaane. His ninth snap was a 41-yard strike to wide receiver Chris Elko. Philo went 3-for-5 for 49 yards and hasn’t played since.
But that doesn’t mean he’s not ready, especially this week he’s probably less ready than any other week.
“He’s great. That’s my guy,” said Tech wide receiver Bailey Stockton, Philo’s high school teammate. “We talk about different things every day. He’s patient and learning under two great quarterbacks in Zach Pyron and Haynes King. He’s doing well.
“I think he’s a baseball player. He knows what to do, he makes the right reads and he’s really confident.”
Prince Avenue Christian head coach Greg Vandagriff holds the trophy after a 49-32 victory over Swainsboro in the Class A Division I GHSA state championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday, December. . Atlanta, November 2023. (Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com)
