Gators hope to get Vernell Brown III back this week

Vernell Brown III‘s value to the Florida Gators can’t be overstated. The true freshman receiver leads UF in catches (31) and receiving yardage (473), the latter by a large margin, even though he has missed two games. He’s also one of the best punt returners in the SEC.

But last Saturday, Brown missed the Ole Miss game—a 34-24 loss—with an AC sprain. That came after he also sat out against Georgia two weeks earlier. In between those games, he played against Kentucky but had only one catch for 22 yards, both well below his season averages.

Before the Ole Miss game, Brown was listed as a game time decision. But it ultimately was determined he wasn’t ready to play.

“VB is a tough character,” UF interim coach Billy Gonzales said. “He got hurt a couple weeks ago, came back, gave it a shot. Sat out, gave it a chance, came back and played. He’s tough. He’s a tough young man.”

Florida, now 3-7, has been stuck in neutral on offense most of the season. But Brown’s play had been a bright spot.

When might Brown, one of the top true freshmen in the country and a former 5-star recruit, return to the field? Soon, the Gators hope. Maybe even this week. But one thing Gonzales wants to make sure of is that Brown isn’t rushed too soon back into action.

“Try to go again this week. One of the things as a receiver coach, you want to make sure if a receiver can’t lift his hands up consistently, go get the ball. Then you just got to make sure that you’re taking care of him, trying to get healthy for the next game.,” Gonzales said. “Same thing, same plan for him is to continue to try to get out there. Every player is different. Their body’s response. And players can get back a little quicker. But every individual player knows their body, and when he’s healthy, he’ll come back.”

Vernell Brown’s 2025 season

OPP	REC	YDS	AVG	LNG	TD
LIU	3	79	26.3	41	0
USF	5	56	11.2	24	0
No. 3 LSU	8	62	7.8	16	0
No. 4 Miami	2	22	11.0	12	0
No. 9 Texas	3	72	24.0	60	0
No. 5 TAMU	6	77	12.8	31	0
MSU	5	83	16.6	50	0
No. 5 Georgia	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
Kentucky	1	22	22.0	22	0
No. 7 Ole Miss	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
TOTAL	33	473	14.3	60	0