Florida's Vernell Brown III Questionable Against Georgia After Friday Downgrade

GatorBaitMedia.com photo by Chris Spears.

ATLANTA— Florida's hopes of getting one of its most explosive offensive weapons back for Saturday's showdown with Georgia have taken a significant hit.

Sophomore wide receiver Vernell Brown III, who had been listed as probable on Wednesday and Thursday, was downgraded to questionable on Friday's SEC availability report, leaving his availability uncertain for the No. 17 Gators against No. 3 Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Brown has missed Florida's last three games with a knee injury suffered during the first half of the Gators' Sept. 26 victory over Ole Miss.

His expected return had offered hope of a major boost to an offense that has struggled to maintain its early-season production without him.

The setback reportedly followed a minor aggravation of Brown's knee, and he missed the final two days of practice leading into the Georgia game.

During Florida's 4-0 opening stretch, Brown caught 17 passes for 271 yards and two receiving touchdowns. He also scored twice on punt returns, giving the Gators a valuable weapon in both the passing game and special teams.

The difference in Florida's production has been noticeable. The Gators scored 96 points in their SEC victories over Auburn and Ole Miss but have managed just 63 points while going 1-2 in the three games Brown has missed.

Betting line moves toward Georgia

The uncertainty surrounding Brown also has drawn attention to the betting market ahead of the rivalry game.

DraftKings' spread has shown movement toward the Bulldogs during the week. Georgia opened around a 10.5-point favorite in some market-opening reports, while subsequent DraftKings snapshots showed the Bulldogs at -12.5, a two-point increase. Other sportsbooks were showing numbers between Georgia -10.5 and -12.

Brown's initial probable designation had raised expectations that Florida would have its leading playmaker available. Friday's downgrade to questionable, coupled with reports of a setback and missed practices, changed that outlook.