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ESPN names Florida WR Vernell Brown III as a top freshman so far this season

IMG_6615by: Blake Alderman12 hours agoBlake_Alderman
Vernell-Brown-III-Florida-Gators
Florida Gators wide receiver Vernell Brown III (8) runs with the ball against the Long Island Sharks during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. (Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images)

After starting the season with a 1-3 record, the Florida Gators haven’t had many bright spots to highlight to date. However, there are some positive takeaways from the first quarter of UF’s season. One of those standouts includes the emergence of true freshman wide receiver Vernell Brown III. On Monday, Billy Tucker of ESPN and the UCReport ranked his top 10 freshmen at this point of the season, and included Brown among those names.

Why ESPN views Vernell Brown III as one of the top freshmen

Florida freshman Vernell Brown III sits at 18 catches through the first four games of his college career. That stat leads all Florida receivers to date. He also sits at 219 receiving yards (12.2 YPC), along with 172 yards in the return game. Vernell Brown III has started all four of UF’s games this season, which places him among a strong company of past Florida standouts.

“In a rocky start for Florida, Brown has been a bright spot,” wrote Billy Tucker. He became just the third true freshman to start a Gators opener, joining Antonio Callaway and Percy Harvin, and immediately turned heads with a one-handed grab against Long Island. Brown is far and away the Gators’ most dynamic receiver and has emerged as a dynamic return threat, too. In four games, he is second among true freshmen in receptions (18) and yards (242) behind Toney. He has all the ingredients of a future SEC star.”

Furthermore, Brown currently ranks 4th in the FBS for freshman reciving yards, trailing only Oregon’s Dakorien Moore, Miami’s Malachi Toney, and SMU’s Jalen Cooper. However, Brown leads all FBS true freshmen wide receivers in all-purpose yards with 391.

A bright future ahead

Brown’s family ties to the Florida program is well documented by this point. However, the younger Brown has some bragging rights with his family with how quickly he’s impacted the team. His start in the Gators’ season opener allowed Brown to become the third true freshman wide receiver to start on opening day for the Gators. In his debut against LIU, Vernell Brown finished with three catches and 79 yards receiving, setting the school record for the most ever by a UF true freshman WR in their first-career start. That contest also included a ridiculous one-handed grab.

“I think he’s a great competitor,” Florida head coach Billy Napier said of Brown earlier this fall. “He’s obviously skilled, but I think more importantly, he’s got a certain maturity level and you could see tonight it’s not too big for him. He’s comfortable in that setting, right? So, he’s a playmaker. He’s been doing that very consistent, very dependable.

“You know what you’re going to get and he’s an even better person, teammate. He’s going to be a great leader and he’s a guy that really, really cares about the University of Florida and I think that makes it special for him.”

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