Kirby Smart praises Georgia Tech freshman QB Aaron Philo

Kirby Smart has spoken plenty on the Georgia quarterback situation regarding standout passer Carson Beck, but he also has respect for what he is up against on Friday as the Bulldogs face Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets will feature freshman quarterback Aaron Philo at the helm.

“Great poise, confidence,” Smart said of the quarterback when he spoke at his Monday press conference. “I mean, he broke the Georgia high school passing record … He’s got confidence. He’s thrown the ball a lot. It’s not like it’s foreign to him. They’ve got some really good weapons.”

Kirby Smart on GT freshman QB Aaron Philo: "Great poise, confidence. I mean, he broke the Georgia high school passing record … He's got confidence. He's thrown the ball a lot. It's not like it's foreign to him. They've got some really good weapons"

— Jordan D. Hill (@JordanDavisHill) November 25, 2024

Philo is well known to football fans who keep up with the state of Georgia. The former three-star prospect is a native of Bogart, Georgia and was at Princeton Avenue Christian School before taking his career to the college level.

And before he did that, he set the Georgia high school football record for all-time passing yards with a total of 13,922 yards through the air. That honor was previously held by none other than Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who tallied 13,902 passing yards at Cartersville High School.

So far this season, Philo holds a 51.4% completion rate, passing for 565 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions over four games. Over that same time span, he has also accumulated 76 rushing yards and 1 score on the ground on 12 carries.

He will certainly have to be at his best when Georgia and Georgia Tech face each other in a Rivalry Showdown on Friday in Sanford Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.

Crissy Froyd

Crissy covers SEC football news for Saturday Down South.