Breaking News: Five Star WR Vernell Brown Commits to the Gators in 2025

Vernell Brown III is set to carry on his dad's footsteps at the University of Florida. The elite wide receiver prospect verbally committed to the Gators on Sunday, following in the footsteps of his father, Vernell Brown Jr., grandfather, Vernell Brown Sr., and uncle, Vincent Brown, all of whom played for Florida. His commitment video featured these family members and was shown during his live ceremony, streamed on YouTube.

Brown is from Orlando’s Jones High School, standing at 5-11 and weighing 170 pounds. He’s rated as a 5-star recruit by the 247Sports Composite, ranking as the No. 5 player in Florida, the No. 6 wide receiver, and the No. 25 overall prospect in the Class of 2025.

Despite his strong family ties to the Gators, Brown's recruitment was highly competitive. He received offers from 42 different schools, including powerhouse programs like Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Michigan, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Texas A&M.

For his big announcement on Sunday, Brown had narrowed his choices to Florida, Florida State, Miami, and Ohio State.

“Sure, I grew up around it and was naturally drawn to UF,” Brown said, “but I can’t say that throughout my recruiting process it was always going to be UF. There were times when UF wasn’t my top choice. Every school in my final four was my No. 1 at different times.”

Brown’s commitment is a significant boost for head coach Billy Napier and his recruiting staff, who are looking to gain momentum on the recruiting trail. The Gators currently have only 10 verbal commitments, lagging behind. Their class ranks No. 62 nationally and 15th in the conference, just ahead of Vanderbilt.

In 2023, Brown recorded 63 catches for 1,230 yards and 9 touchdowns.