It's his first college football game, but Vernell Brown III looks right at home in a Florida Gators uniform.
In his first half, he made three catches for 79 yards, including maybe the first entrant for catch of the year.
Check out this grab on the deep pass from DJ Lagway. Shades of Odell Beckham Jr. down in Gainesville:
ARE YOU KIDDING ME @VB3_9 https://t.co/LNowpD5Xul pic.twitter.com/VLdjOBFnN7
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) August 31, 2025
Brown is supposed to do this. He was ranked as the No. 24 overall player in the Class of 2025 by Rivals, a 5-star recruit.
He's a triple legacy at Florida. His grandfather, Vernell Sr., played for the Gators from 1982-85, and his father, Vernell II, joined from 2001-05. Vernell's uncle Vincent won a national title with the Gators in 2008. His cousin, Vincent Jr., is his current teammate.
It doesn't seem like Brown had any choice but to come to Florida, but he had options. He had offers from Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan and Ohio State, among many others.
It's never a sure thing that a freshman will arrive on campus and contribute, but clearly Brown was ready to do just that.
Two of the country's best wide receivers in 2024 were freshmen: Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith and Alabama's Ryan Williams. That pair is on their way to being first-round picks in 2027.
Maybe Brown can do a lot of what they did and put himself in the early conversation to be a high WR draft pick in 2028.
That's a long way off, though.
For now, Brown will look to keep making catches, both the spectacular and the simple, as Florida looks to return to its true national relevance that many of Brown's older family members got to experience with the Gators.
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